


A Lucky Penny

by AfflictedwithAlliteration



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Action, F/M, Fluff and Angst, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Romance, Short Chapters, Slow Burn, Strong Language, TMNT 2k3, Then super long chapters, Typical show violence, episode based chapters, sort of canon-compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-07-03 08:32:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 28,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15815253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AfflictedwithAlliteration/pseuds/AfflictedwithAlliteration
Summary: You and your sister make do, homeless runaways with a sketchy past. You're a dime a dozen in New York, New York  struggling to survive and stay hidden but in shadows you'll find you are not the only ones hiding.





	1. "Garbageman"

**Author's Note:**

> I've been posting like mad because I'm still finishing stories I've had half written for over a year and found this three year old disaster. I enjoyed the nostalgia of it then decided to do some minor editing and post. It wasn't finished but was pretty close to, so it shouldn't take long to have each chapter up (which will mostly cover an episode but with an added character--you!). Hope you enjoy! Let me know what errors you catch :D

“Be careful, Mel.” 

“Stuff it, Penny. You’re such a baby.”

“I’m not! I’m telling you this is a bad idea! You’ve heard the everyone talking about it and—“

“Oh please, it’s more likely that those two got caught doing something stupid, again, like digging through peoples personal trash.”

“I don’t—“ You cut yourself off as a shadow came around the corner, your back bumped into Mels, who stumbled, snarled and pinched you in retaliation. 

“The hell is wrong…with…you…do not move.”

“No shit.” You gasped out because it was all true. The kidnappings, the crazy monster, all of it. And it was right in from of you. You shrank down slowly and began crawling backwards, your sister doing the same with her arm out as if it could protect you. It didn’t matter because the shadow followed you both, like it knew where you were going. 

“Mel!”

It was the only thing you were able to squeak out before the metal tentacles reached out, like a bad horror movie and stole you.

* * *

Your head pounded. Or someone was pounding on the door, except you didn’t have a door. You peeled open your eyes and found yourself face-to-face with the darkness of a metal cell. Immediately the memories from earlier in the night resurfaced and an involuntary whimper escaped your lips. In the dark you reached for Mel’s hand then squeezed, alerting her to your wakefulness as she began to whisper quickly.

“I think we stopped awhile ago. I can hear something but they haven’t let us out yet—“

You felt Mel stiffen and followed suit when the ‘door’ finally opened and revealed that it was almost morning. A terse man in a yellow suit spoke and you had the sickening feeling that he was smiling. 

“Welcome to Garbageland, ladies.”

Not two seconds later both of you were sliding and screaming your way into a crowd of your fellow people.

* * *

“I told you so.” You snipped, more for familiarity than any real bite, at least not this time. It had already been three days. Three very long days. 

“Shut up.”

“You firs—“ 

You collapsed to the ground with a yelp as the static coursed through in your veins. Not a second later you felt Mel collapsed by your side, probably for trying to punch a guard again. It was like living the same day over and over. But this time when you went to stand a sharp voice told you to stay down. 

Wincing you sat up and seen another person being shocked and groups of people stopping what they were doing to watch the grossest person you’d had ever seen come out of a car. 

“Greetings, Filth!”

The only thing you could do was stare, half listening and half wondering how this could be real life. It was the Professor speaking that finally caught your attention, breaking the strange trance, “Guards, silence him!”

To your right you heard Mel snarl and grabbed her arm tightly, “Don’t. It won’t help.”

But even your hands itched to hit something. Professor had never been anything but kind to you and neither of you couldn’t help him. It hurt to see him fall like them, made you feel powerless. 

That is, it did until you watched four green people come flying into the middle of the group and began freeing people from their chains. You didn’t even blink and barely swallowed a scream when one of their weapons came down on your own chains. 

“Oh my god!”

“Move!” Mel snapped, shoving a taser stick in your hand and looking entirely at ease with the sudden change of events. You found yourself watching her sister run into the sudden fray in shock then turning to make sure you hadn’t imagined green people. 

And you hadn’t.

They were fighting they dumpster guy, and winning? You couldn’t tell when the missiles started flying; enough was enough, you turned tail and ran to join the others in their vengeance.

* * *

“Stay here?” You questioned, looking torn. “I don’t know…won’t people eventually come here and wonder why we’re here?”

“I don’t think anyone would. It’s just a dump; even the loaders just drop it and leave. That’s why no one found it before.”

“I guess…” You murmured, mind still stuck on the days events and the green people. You frowned, “Mel, those guys…what were they?”

“Oh, Professor and Mark say they dress up like that and fight crime or something. Like some Silver Sentry thing.” 

Your sister seemed completely unconcerned with the whole ordeal but you had seen their lips move. Felt the brush of skin as they went by. It hadn’t felt or looked like a costume unless it was super high tech one. Maybe it was. You rubbed your head and followed the others, you had other things to worry about now. Like who would get top bunk.


	2. "Turtle Titan"

“I miss the city.”

Mel looked confused, “This is our city.”

“No, the city, city.”

Your sister just shrugged. Most people were content there and the Professor had done a great job turning the center of their new ‘home’ into a thriving little community but your missed the city. The bustle of people and the freedom of space. “I’m gonna go back.”

“To where?”

“The city!” You snapped. “On the next trip back.”

“Do what you want.” Mel retorted, clearly expecting you not to go. You made a face. You would go. Someone else could come share a bunk with your brat of a sister. And you’d come back, you thought as you looked around…maybe. Lots of people came and went, there was no obligation but most homeless people chose to stay. 

You weren’t one of those people.

* * *

There was fresh air and then there was fresh air. The stale, wet air of the homeless utopia was nothing compared to this. Sure it smelled like New York but it wasn’t stale. 

“Feels good.” You said to no one in particular then promptly forgot where or even who you were.

* * *

The whiteness that blinded you receded to show you the face of…a green person. Again. 

“Who are you?” You slurred, unsure of why you were even standing there. You didn’t remember moving from the previous dump. Slowly the world came into focus and the green person grinned. 

“I’m turtle titan!”

“You’re a turtle?” Made sense. He was green. You shook your head to clear away the fog of some sleep. “What am I—“

“You were stealing from a candy store, but it wasn’t your fault, see there’s these little spider thingies and they’re controlling you! But I, turtle titan, saved you!”

He looked so eager, like he was waiting for praise but you just stared. “Um…thank you?”

You had literally had no idea what he was babbling about. 

The two of you stared at each other until you could see his cheeks redden. And he made to ‘slip away’ until your brain caught up with you. “Wait!”

“Yeah?”

“Um, thanks for last time too. With the, um…dumpster guy.”

“Whoa! Small world! You were there too?!”

“Yeah.”

“No problem, dudette. All in a days work!”

You made a face at the cheesiness of the line but this time let him grapple hook off into the night. It was only after that you remembered the blush on his cheeks and gasped. “He blushed! Costumes don’t blush!”


	3. Interlude Part I

You didn’t see the ‘turtle titan’ for so long after you’d thought you’d imagined it, sometimes you forgot about it. It wasn’t until the rave that you remembered.

“The sewers? Do you even hear how gross that sounds?”

“Nah, it’s unused. Cleared out and ready for us, we use it all the time.”

“Then how come I’ve never heard of it?” You said, crossing your arms. The guys grinned. 

“You only hung ‘round the Professors crowd, they’re too old for that.”

“Don’t be rude!” You snapped but relaxed and shrugged, you had nothing better to do and in the cold, indoor anywhere was better than outdoor. “Lead the way.”

* * *

The rave turned out to be a bunch of old Christmas lights and other fixtures spliced into the sewers lightening. Drinks, probably stolen, filled on corner while music blasted from another, also probably stolen. 

It brought back a sense of comfort and guilt. After they’d found the Professor, Mel and you’d stopped stealing. You’d lived decent enough. Still you always missed the ‘free’ stuff and the lack of restraint but seeing it now, you didn’t really miss it at all. Turning to your guides you shook your head. “I’m gonna head out early, got to find a place to crash, yeah?”

“Whatever.”

* * *

Ten minutes later, you were lost. 

Every wall looked the same and you were wishing you’d just sucked it up and stayed. But of course, you just had to let your conscience be your guide and apparently it sucked with directions. 

Ten more minutes later and you were not only lost but your shoes were soggy, it was cold and it was smelling even less like party than before. You’d swore rats were trying to eat your toes and God only knew how many bugs were on you. 

Finally you gave a little huff and spoke sharply in the dark, jumping at how loud it sounded back. “Stupid party.”

“Hello?” You tried again, it bounced back without a reply. “Seriously? Anyone? Police? Sewer man? Sewer rat? Silver Sentry? Batman? Turtle Titan? Hello?! “

The words tumbled out faster and faster until they were just sounds to eat away your fears until you found manhole. And you would find one. Eventually. Maybe. 

“Dammit.”

* * *

“Ya sure it ain’t a rat?”

“It went off three times.”

“Then what? The Foot?”

“I don’t know, it keeps going in circles and it should be—oh.”

You looked up blearily from where you were curled up. In the light of the flashlight you could semi make out the shape of a person and the green tint of their skin. “Are you okay?”

You licked your lips and wrinkled your nose, your mouth felt cottony with sleep. And your limbs were heavy from the chill, it wasn’t an unusual feeling but you had no desire to make small talk with other sewer rats, so to speak. 

“M’fine. Sleeping.”

“Yeah, we can see that.”

“’kay.” You felt your eyes sliding shut, uncaring of the company until a warm hand landed on your shoulder. Immediately it had you wide-awake, ready to yell and swing your fists wildly.

“Whoa! The shell is wrong with ya?!” 

“Don’t touch me!” 

“Raph!”

“I wasn’t doin’ nothin’!”

For a second the three of them glared at each other before two more shadows came up behind the first. You felt the wedge of fear that had begun grow bigger in the pit of your stomach. Very, very slowly you inched back until the flashlight was pointed on you. You froze. 

“We’re not going to hurt you, okay? We just found you and thought you were hurt.” A new voice interjected before you could bolt. 

“I’m not hurt…I’m lost.” You muttered, feeling embarrassed you felt compelled to explain yourself, “There was a party—“

“Dude! Why I wasn’t invited?!”

“—and I left early and I couldn’t remember where we came down. I think it was from the subway but I don’t know where it is. Then I got sleepy and—“ You trailed off and gestured to the ground. “I didn’t know it was a taken spot. I can go.”

“No worries, little lady. We can take you up.”

For some reason that voice was sounding more and more familiar. It tugged a faint memory from the garbage city days and—“Turtle titan!” You found yourself blurting out then clamping your lips shut. Dead silence met the words before you heard a low laugh.

“Ya know this one, Mikey?”

“I dunno.”

There was a smack and then you seen who you were sure was the turtle titan step foreword. He looked like the first time you’d seen him, rather than the second. No cape. You blinked. So he was really a turtle and you hallucinated him a lot. “Oh! You’re the candy girl!”

“Penny.”

“Guys, she’s one of the Professors people—“

“No I’m not.” You interjected, “I left.”

Silence met your declaration and then a loud sigh echoed. “Um, did you want to go up?”

You blinked tiredly, still nervous but there was four of them and they weren’t bad if they were who you thought they were. At least you hoped not. “Yeah.”

“Come on, dudette. I’ll give ya the royal tour!”

* * *

The royal tour was Mikey, not turtle titan anymore you found out, talking non-stop to keep you awake and helping you walk while naming streets until you nodded at a familiar one. 

If the other turtles followed they made no noise but you doubted this one was alone. It didn’t matter anyway when Mikey swept you off your feet and you were outside again in a vaguely familiar dump. 

“Thanks, again.”

“Anytime.” Mikey said with a wink. 

You watched the spot he had stood in for a bit then wandered towards the nearest bonfire, you really were tired.


	4. Interlude Part II

Since the party gone wrong you couldn’t get the turtles out of your head. It was strange and you really couldn’t say whether it was a costume or your own hallucinations because no one knew what you were talking about.

It was how you found yourself once more in the sewers once more. But the trek did nothing but give you sore feet, smelly hair and probably rabies.

* * *

The next time you tried to go down a manhole you came face-to-face with who you were looking for. Well, not exactly. Because this was a person, person and not a turtle at all. Clad entirely in black and very clearly not Mikey or a turtle titan. 

“Hi.”

You did not know what prompted you to say it but you regretted it the moment you did. And a few seconds later you might have been dead, except you weren’t. When you realized you weren’t dead you peeled open an eye and found exactly who you were looking for…maybe?

“What’re ya doin’?”

“Looking for you…well…I think. You’re not Mikey.”

“No shell.”

“…right.” You awkwardly looked the unconsciousness black suited person then back to the…turtle. Now that you thought about it, that would take some getting used to. Because turtle. “Um, that—“

“We gotta move.” He muttered, grabbing you and half dragging, half carrying you back towards the dump. When you stopped he glared down at you. “Gonna tell me why yer snoopin’ around?”

“I told you, I was looking for Mikey.”

“Why?”

“I—“ You shrugged, you didn’t know. “I don’t know.”

The turtle seemed to relax at that, even if his face still told you he thought you weren’t the sharpest fork in his belt. And that was one seriously big fork. “So, nice to meet you.”

“Yeah.”

“…I’m Penny.”

It was silent so long you thought he wouldn’t answer or that he’d left and you were staring at a creepily still after image before he sighed, “Raphael.”

“Cool. Um.” Once again you had no idea where to go from there and once again the turtle sighed but hadn’t left yet. It gave you a chance to really look and you wondered how anyone could think it was a costume. It was like thinking a person was wearing a person costume. It just wasn’t possible. 

You were so lost in your staring you almost missed the words. Red surged to your cheeks. “Sorry, what?”

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” He snapped, then continued, ignoring your little flinch, “I said, don’t be goin’ in the sewers no more. It ain’t safe.”

“Oh! The suit guy.”

“Yeah, them.”

“Alright.”

It seemed that was the end of their conversation and Raphael the turtle made to leave. “Tell Mikey I said hi!”

You received an acknowledging grunt and he was gone. Melting into the shadows of the alley liked he’d never been there at all. You sighed. You still wasn’t sure if you were going crazy or not.

* * *

“Penny!”

“Turtle titan!” You yelped, surprised when you were wrapped in a tight albeit brief hug from behind, the voice being the only reason Mikey hadn’t gotten an elbow to the face. 

Conversation stilled like it had with the other turtle and you found yourself eyeing the differences. They weren’t alike at all physically, except for the turtle part. It was weird. Like twins. Fraternal twins. “Heard you were looking for me.”

“I was.” You stalled, “Because I thought you were crazy. I mean, that you were fake so I was crazy because you’re a turtle. Like a real one. And I have no idea what I’m saying. I mean, thanks for all the rescues and stuff and um, I don’t know.”

It was a lot to take in and judging by the confused expression on his face he was just as weirded out by the whole situation as you were. Finally you just shrugged, might as well roll with it. “I was actually gonna eat lunch, you want?”

“I really shouldn’t—“

“It’s pizza. Professor dropped it off.”

“Count me in!”

* * *

The turtle, you found, was not the important part. Mikey was just himself, except for that bit. He liked video games, he talked enough for both of you and he ate enough for five of you. It was surreal. 

“So, you got evicted? I wondered why I didn’t find you, not that I could check that much, but you know, I went to that same manhole and still didn’t find you. That sucks.”

“Pretty much.” Mikey said, giving a strained sounding laugh, you abruptly steered course. 

“I got evicted once, I mean, sort of. It was a condemned building.” 

For a few minutes neither of you said anything and it looked like Mikey was trying not to ask something. “What?”

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“Seriously?!”

You laughed, “Like you should talk, how old are you?”

“…fifteen.”

“Ha! I’m older! I knew it!”

“I’m taller!”

“By like, an inch, at most.” 

You bickered for a few minutes before Mikey pulled the same looked as before, eyes taking in your small ‘house’. It wasn’t a house really, just a few old doors used to make a square shape, old blankets, a tarp for weather protection. Your pizza and the broken bean bag chairs you sat in. You knew what he wanted to know. “It’s not a big deal. Me and my sister have always been like this, you know? By the time we even thought of being a part of that…” you gestured to the city, “we couldn’t.”

You gave a little shrug at Mikey’s sheepish expression. The conversation continued.

* * *

It was late when the turtle left and you waved until you thought your hand might fall off. You really doubted he come by again since that seemed like a soft warning or at least a farewell to the nosey Nancy to sate your curiosity and keep you from prying. It was fun well it lasted, you thought, and you'd have a story for Mel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So most interludes are just that, interludes to show parts where the reader has a life outside the turtles or where she's not part of their adventures. This interlude is set specifically around episode "The King" where the turtles leave the sewers because of too much Foot activity.


	5. Interlude Part III

You had taken a great liking to the rooftops. Not for any reason other than that people rarely checked the roof. No officers, no garbage, nothing to bother you and you rarely had to move your things because no one really went on roofs. 

But at this very moment you were regretting it entirely. The rain made the rails of the ladder slick and cut through your little tent like it was nothing but newspaper. To make matters worse the building beside you was erupting into chaos. Sirens wailed in the distance and you could see the men in black from before jumping through windows. 

Cautiously you crept down, hoping to avoid the chaos, frozen in place when a large, too large really, blonde man went into the building as well. Strangely, there were no gunshots. Yet. You really needed to get out of there. 

You let go of the ladder and let yourself fall the rest of the way only to regret it instantly when the smell of smoke and gas flooded your nose. Eyes wide you turned and crouched at the nearest dumpster just as the explosion sent several nearby onlookers flying. 

It felt like forever before the ringing in your ears stopped but blearily your could see a handful of figures, some familiar and green lurking about the alley. You would’ve opened your mouth to say something but the image danced with spots and moving hurt.

* * *

You felt like you’d slept for days. The hospital kept close enough tabs on you but with the damage from the fire, lots of people had slipped in and out, and it wasn’t like there was a ton of information on you for them to track down. 

It wasn’t so bad anyway; the worst of it was a few pieces of glass stuck in your arm and the concussion that left a bump the size of a small planet. What was truly on your mind were the turtles you swore you’d seen and the fact that you hadn’t seen them now in days. It wasn’t that odd but coupled with the explosion…

“Hope you didn’t die, that’d kinda suck.”

* * *

“Jesus Penny, what happened to your back?” Mel said, as her fingers carefully trailed over the skid mark that ran down it.

“Oh, apartment building next door exploded. I hit the wall but look at these!” You flashed your sister your arm with a timid grin, “From glass.”

Mel pursed her lips and ripped off another piece of the sandwich you were sharing. She turned her gaze away from you to stare out at the city moving all around them, content to ignore two scruffy girls on the sidewalk. 

“What? I know that look and no, Mel, I’m not going back. I _like_ it here.”

“But your always getting hurt!”

“Hazard of the life.”

“Penny! It’s not funny and…I miss you.” Your sister finished a little sullenly, face slightly red. You threw back your head and laughed but made no promise to go back. You wouldn’t. 

It didn’t matter much anyway, you’d still visit each other and when you laid on the roof while Mel tried and failed at making up stories about the constellations it was like old times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This interlude is set around The Shredder Strikes Back Part 2, no turtles yet, each of your gotta do your own thing. Let me know what ya'll think so far. I'm giggling as I read it because it's been so long and the nostalgia rose glasses are real :D


	6. "The Cub"

The mob.

Well, not really. Crime groups were a dime a dozen, most people knew who to steer clear of, it was the ones who paraded as regular people that were deadly. The rest were simply dangerous and no one was stupid enough to poke the sleeping bears. At least, no one except reporters. You watched the news play with a shake of your head then passed the window by. Reporters all ended up disappearing, more than the homeless. 

“Gotta be suicidal.” You muttered, and weaved your way deeper into the streets. You didn’t know where you were going but you knew where to avoid. Specifically, men in black, and anyone running without a music player. 

Case in point, the little boy that nearly ran you over in his effort to flee something. You both stumbled with the kid glaring up at you when you righted yourselves and fleeing into a dumpster. “The hell are you doing?” You grumped, startled and nervous because there were only a few things to truly run from in New York. 

The boy hissed at you angrily and you shook your head, intent on continuing walking, preferably as far away from where the boy was. But, no such luck. You stilled as voices and lights bounced along the walls. From where you stood you could make out black suits, your eyes flicked to the boy then back and you promptly headed the way the kid went. Very casually you grabbed a dirty blanket, laid down and wrapped yourself up just as the men got close. 

Briefly the light flickers in your face, over it and finally boxes nearly smash her head in as the toss trash around, “Watch it! I’m trying to sleep here!”

“You see a kid?”

“Do I look like I got any kids?” Your working a dumb accent, its not hard to act stupid, you does it often enough. Like now for instance. But your pretty sure your legs are shaking. “Get that light outta my face.”

“Listen here—“

“Leave her, she doesn’t know anything.” Baldy squeaks, his voice could be nails on a chalk board. He gives you a rough shove, “Stay out of trouble, got it?”

It’s a fair warning but you tense as they dig through the trash can the boy was in but they seem less interested and you realize you aren’t just shaking now, you’re falling, knees hitting the ground as a wave of panicked relief washes through you. They think you wouldn’t be stupid enough to lie, you shouldn’t be but you’re happy they’re gone. You can almost breathe normally when a small head pokes out, the voices floating around the corner making it hitch again, you want to tell the kid to duck down but you don’t want to be a part of this more than you are.

“Need I remind you what happens if we fail to catch our quarry? Find him!”

“He ain’t here.”

“Then try the next alley!”

You flinch as you watch the kid, the kid can’t be…but he is. Sneaking out before they’ve even rounded the corner. You jump up to slam the lid down or say anything to still the kid but a bottle drops. You dive to catch it, and curse under your breath when the glass bites into your finger as it shatters on the ground. 

“Come out, come out wherever yous are.”

Once more, you think about leaving but straighten up and gesture to the bottle with a little shrug, because he’s small and you remember being small and trying to figure out how the game worked. Projection is a terrible thing. “Dr-dropped my drink.” 

“Hows about the kid stops playing hide and seek and you move before we make you?”

You hear the trashcan behind you and want to hit something but a ball of green lands in front of you instead. A turtle of green, actually. And here you thought they’d moved or something. 

“How about its yer turn to hide!”

“Raphael?” But your question goes unanswered when the baldy talks over you and the turtle gives no acknowledgment. 

“Whoa.”

“Yeah, whoa.” You agree with the kid when the count down ends, you’d been steadily backing away until your back is pressed up against the dumpster. A part of you wants to close your eyes but you can’t help but watch as the banter starts to degrade into kindergarten insults and here you’d thought that was just for movies. “Really? Both of those suck.”

“He’s pretty bad at that.” The kids says, he sounded just as shocked as you felt the first time you’d seen them. 

Now you’d had never seen mobsters or gang run, they just didn’t do it but these ones did, no big guns, no fuss, just fear of a turtle. But out of the corner of your eye you could see the baldy on the phone. That wouldn’t bode well. 

“Kid, s’okay, I won’t bite, I’m one of the good guys, honest. She’ll vouch for it.”

“I will?” You asked, surprised, and then shrugged, “He is.”

“Come on, let’s get you outta there, don’t be scared.” 

Raphael waits while you try to help the kid but he bats your hand away. You put your hands up, trying to pacify him then step back as Raphael begins his interrogation while you fight the urge to snort. That is not how you get answers out of a kid.

“What’s yer name?”

There is a bit of silence while the kid gets out, looking every bit the sullen child. You open your mouth just a fist hits Raphael in the face. 

“Ow!”

You laughs as he glares at you both, “Cute, real cute.”

“You shouldn’t punch him, he saved y—“

“Now just calm down--ow!” The kids does it again. “Man, I hate kids.”

“Maybe you should stop putting your face near his fist.” You offer through a wince. He glares at your unhelpful advice but doesn’t bend down again. 

“So we’re passed the scared part—uh!” The kids goes to swing again but this time Raphael catches his fist. You quickly stepped foreword to stop him from doing something to the kid, “So far, we’re kid three, Raph zero but that’s gonna even up real quick if ya don’t keep yer hands to yerself!”

“He’s just nervous, don’t hurt him!”

“I ain’t gonna hurt him!”

“And you stop punching him!”

“Would ya let me ask the questions?!” The turtle snaps, you purse your lips in annoyance. Boys. Your about to tell him to stuff it, your own adrenaline finally fading, loosening your lips up and making you nervous when the kid interrupts you both. 

“What’s your name, turtle?”

“Raphael. So kid, what’d ya do to tick off those goons?”

“Theft probably. You a stray?” But even as you say it, you know he's not. You don’t recognize him and his clothes are too nice, he’s too well fed. 

“I’m not a thief! And don’t call me kid! My names Tyler and I can handle this myself.”

“Yeah, you did a real good job before.” You snap with a roll of your eyes, “He saved you, you know?”

“Yeah, so? He saved you too. No one asked you guys to butt in.”

You can’t help when your face flushes brightly, “Hey I tried to help!”

“Fine!” Raphael interrupts you both, he glares at you a bit, “What are ya? Twelve? And don’t tell me, I’m in da middle of somethin’ else anyway. I’m just gonna get ya both ta some place safe then I’m outta here.”

“I can do that myself, thanks.” You growl then eye the boy backing away when Raphael turns around. Casually you trot behind the kid while Raphael continues to talk to no one then stick out your foot. 

The kid, Tyler, goes flying and a green hand shoots out to grab his collar. The turtle gives you a look and you just shrugs as if to say, ‘oh well’. “You can’t sneak away from a ninja kid.”

“Technically, he did.”

“No one ask ya.” Raphael snaps. 

“Leave me alone!”

You step between them and kneel down in front of the kid, very careful you hold up a hand and stare him down. “First, do not punch me, I’ll hit you back. Second, he’s trying to help and so was I. You got a home or something? Cause you think you can handle it but I guarantee no one else around here would be nice enough to help you, and Baldy there was on the phone—“

“What?!”

“Which means more will be prowling around. So either you can go home or—“ you speak above the Tylers protest, “you can come with me.”

“Neither of ya can be messin’ with those mob goons on yer own! He needs ta go ta da police! He’s a just a kid and ya couldn’t even fight back there! Yer both gonna get hurt.”

“I told you don’t call me kid!”

“Get over it, Tyler!” You snap, “Well, what else do you think we should do with him? You think he’ll stay home or with the police? Really?”

“You guys aren’t the boss of me!”

Raphael shoves around you to get in the kids face and you sigh then stand as you dust yourself off. You back away from the two having some weird macho match. Before Raphael had interrupted though, you’d sworn the kid was gonna tell her yes. 

“Oh yeah?!”

“Yeah!”

“Oh yeah?!”

“Yeah!”

Five minutes later the kid is under his arm and the turtle looks pissed. His gaze falls on you, who takes a small step back, hands up as if saying you are no part of this, you already did your part, “Yer comin’ with us.”

“I really don’t—“

“Do I gotta carry ya too?”

“…no.”

* * *

“There’s da police station, for obvious reasons I can’t go in there. So she’s gonna go with ya, tell them where ya live and they’ll get ya home.”

You want to tell Raphael that if the mob is looking for him they probably know where he lives, “Raphael—“

“But—“

“Get going!”

With a sign you grab the kid by the hand and walk with him across the street. Briefly you glanced back at Raphael then at the police station. As if you wanted to go in there either. Stupid turtle. 

The minute you cross the threshold neither of you moves foreword. You looks down at the kid. You grin, check to see if the turtle is in sight then releases the kids hand. “Do what you want. I’m not going in there.”

Together you skip away from the building just as the officers come out wondering what the hell you’re doing. You give the kid a shove. “Faster!”

You’ve barely reached the alley when the kid is snatched, you turn half ready to leave him and half ready to punch whoever grabbed him when the sight of Raphael freezes you. The glare he gives you is poison. 

“What?! I can’t go in there! And he’s obviously not going to either!”

“Either ya tell me whats going on with ya or I’m gonna keep makin’ ya go back there and I’m gonna get more honked off every time!”

“Alright! Okay…” The kid sighs and you lean against a wall to wait for the story. You could leave now but you feel a bit guilty you didn’t force him into the station. He shouldn’t live like she is, better if she’d made him go in, “It started today after I got home from school…sitter let me watch my favorite show…mom was a reporter she got a tape recording of one of the bad guys—they must’ve found out because they came—“

“Oh my god.”

They both look over at the interruption, you wince but continue, “I seen it on the news earlier. The police were at your house after someone reported the break in. Your moms face was all over, yours probably was too.”

“Yeah…my mom gave it to me and told me I had to be brave, when they stopped the car I ran and that’s it. That’s when you guys showed up.”

“So, yer not makin’ this up?”

“Yeah, cause I’m going back and I’m going to kick all their butts.”

“Bad idea, look kid…” You can see the kids face contort and quickly interrupt. 

“Um. Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen.” You murmur, “Maybe we should just get you to the police, you can tell them where the place is and they can go get her? That way you’ll be safe and...stuff.”

“No way!”

“Look, Tyler, I promise I’ll get your mom back safe—“

“What?” But Raphael ignores your shocked question.

“But first I gotta get ya some place safe.”

“You’re not dumping me!”

“You do realize they have guns right? You could get shot! The police can handle it.”

“Not before he tries ta handle it himself.”

He has a point. “I’m going!”

“Ugh! What does it take to get through to you? Do you wanna get—“

And now the kids crying. You sigh then curse. You pull out a little thing of dirty tissues and hand it to the kid, “Look I know it’s your mom but what happens if you get hurt and your mom sees? Don’t you think she’d be just as upset?”

“But I have to help! I have to!”

You look to Raphael who looks exasperated and now…sad? He isn’t looking at either of you when he talks. “Look, Tyler, I know how ya feel my dads missing…”

“You have a dad?” You squeak out, regretting the way his face briefly flickers to rage before giving you a nod, “Oh.”

“I was out here tryin’ ta find him when I found ya.”

“Really?” You and the kid ask, surprised. 

“Really.”

“Aww, ain’t that cute--“

“I told you they called!” You yelp as the voice reaches them, your body jumping back to see the same ugly baldy as before. You knew they’d have reinforcements and you really should’ve left when you had the chance. You grab the kid to drag him away but they’re on both sides. “Aren’t ninjas supposed to know when people sneak up on them?!”

“—I’ll kick their butts!”

“Shut up and keep the kid outta the way!”

You really don’t have a choice. Grabbing him by the back of the shirt you shove him behind you, towards a wall. “Come on.”

“But I can help.”

“Yeah, about as much as I can.” The fighting in the background doesn’t sound like gunshots yet but your body feels tense and too small. You turn to watch just as a small piece of metal goes flying through the air. “Move!” 

You’re yelling at them both but there’s really nowhere to move. But then Raphael is front of you and there’s smoke everywhere. And you’re not dead. “Raphael?! Are you dead?!”

“No, idiot. But we’ve got a problem.” He’s rubbing his eyes, “I can’t see a thing!”

“What do we do?!”

“We need to get him outta here!”

You waste no time shoving the kid into his arms then pushing them foreword. “Run straight! Wait, not that way!”

“I needed ta know that one second earlier.”

“Just give me your hand!”

“Can ya keep up?”

“Can you carry us both? No? Then move!”

He’s mostly pulling you along because you’ve never had to run this hard in far too long. Your legs burn and you think your just going to let go because they’re only after the kid but Raphael tightens his grip when yours loosens and he tugs you faster. “Come on!”

“I can’t! They aren’t after me anyway!”

“Yeah, and if ya stop ya think they’ll just leave ya alone?” The mockery in his voice says it all but before you can retort the boy snaps.

“Put your arm up!”

“Why?!” 

You follows the kids gaze, “Just do it then climb! Hurry!”

“Get on!”

“But—“ You hesitated but the kid wastes no time pulling you foreword so your hanging onto the turtles shell. Any small doubt you’d had before about them being real turtles is gone. His shell is very real under your fingers. And now you remember your cut, hand bleeding from where you held on. 

“Tyler, where’s this thing bolted to the wall?”

“Here!”

“Good, ya both go up first.” But your already ahead of him, hauling up the kid and following when you begin moving across the roofs, slow progress with one blind turtle. “Where we goin’?”

“I don’t know, Tylers leading.” You mumble around your hand that you’ve stuffed into mouth to soothe the ache. 

“Ya alright?”

“Yeah, just a cut.” You grin warily, “Wanna see?”

“Ha-ha. Seriously, where are we?”

“This is the place where they’ve got my mom.”

“Oh you cannot be serious! You’re blind and you, what’re you going to do? Pinch them to death?”

“Tell me what ya see.”

“Two goons whose butts I’m gonna kick!”

“Raphael!” They’re both ignoring you.

“Whoa there quick draw! Ya gotta think before ya act, ya can’t just go storming in there like a hothead—ugh, listen ta me.”

“What?”

“Nah just somethin’ my brothers were tryin’ ta tell me.”

“Raphael! You shouldn’t go in at all.”

“Look, there she is!”

“I can’t look!”

“It’s mom! I gotta get down there.”

“You really can’t.” You snap, grabbing him by the scruff again while Raphael reaches out blindly. “You need to quit thinking you can because you can’t. You really, _really_ can’t!”

“Hey!”

“You shut up!” You shake the kid, “There’s no way you’re going to anything but get caught and then you’ll be dead.”

“That’s enough.” Raphael snaps, laying a heavy hand on your shoulder when you protest.

“But it’s true!” But you can tell Tylers about to cry again and he’s trying to kick your shin and get free. You have this terrible feeling they’re going in anyway and that they’ll die. You don’t want to know people who are going to die. Your voice cracks because this is a really bad idea. “You shouldn’t.”

“I am. And yer gonna wait here while we,” he feels for Tylers shoulder, “go rescue her. But! We’re gonna do this my way and I’m gonna need ya ta be my eyes and no steering me into walls this time, right?”

“Yeah,” Tyler wipes his eyes, “right.”

The more you hear of the plan the less secure you feel and when they finally get ready to go you stand up with them. 

“Oh no ya don’t.”

“I’m not going to wait here.” You snarl anxiously.

“Yer not comin’. I can’t worry about both of ya.”

“Then don’t.”

Raphael smirks. “Good luck getting up ta da window.”

You frown and looks to their point of entry. You huff in agitation, “Fine. Fine! I’ll just wait by the door, then?”

“Good idea.”

“I was kidding!” But apparently he wasn’t because they were gone and you grumbled as you went to go play the waiting game.

* * *

“Ya waited.”

“Well duh.” You half shrieked as the door opened, heart beating like a rabbits, “Oh! You can see now?”

“Ya, wore off inside. Lemme see yer hand.”

You hadn’t realized you’d still been fiddling with it. You tugged your sleeve down and shook your head. “It’ll be fine. I’m going to go find a place to crash, I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“I guess. Ya should take of that hand, too.”

“Tell Mikey I said long time no see.” Raphael turned to leave and you hesitated before stopping him. “Good luck.”

“With what?”

“Finding your dad.”

He grunted in acknowledgment then ran off, you sighed. It was gonna be a long night still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, look, turtles have come back! This is the longest chapter I have written for this, I think its because I wrote it while watching it. Eh. Enjoy it anyway.


	7. Searching

“Mikey! Hey!”

You’d have sworn it was Mikey until he turned. Then you realized he had a stick and not a…whatever Mikey always had. “Sorry, thought you were someone else.”

“You know Mikey?” He didn’t sound super happy about it and he frowned at you. You smiled a bit sheepishly. 

“Um, the professor? I was with his group on the island then I…came back? Mikey sometimes stops by and says hi.”

“Stops by where?”

“Everywhere?” 

It seems he’s only just noticed your clothes and a few seconds later another turtle appears. Still not Mikey but familiar all the same. “‘sup, Green Vengeance.”

He spares you a look, “Shut up.”

“Green vengeance?”

“Mikey’s busy.” Raphael informs you curtly and then you take in the way they still look tense even if its not directed at you. A piece of the conversation comes back to you from nights previous. 

“Are you still looking for your dad?”

“You told her?!”

“Shut up, Donnie. Yeah. We are.”

You answers before you can think it through, “I can help, if you want.”

“I doubt it.”

“Never know till you try and what can it hurt? Just tell me what he looks like and I’ll see if anyone’s seen him.”

Raphael looks entirely too amused now, but it’s sort of bitter and you know you'll regret asking in a few seconds when he barks out a laugh. “He’s a rat.”

“What?”

“A rat, ya know, lil’ furry things in da sewers.”

“Okay.” You raise your hands warily, “Point taken.”

Awkwardly you just stare at each other until the other turtle, Donnie—your brain supplied, spoke, “It was nice to meet you but we’ve got—“

“Yeah, of course, um it was nice meeting you too! Again.”

He pulls himself back to the roofs but Raphael lingers for a second, “See ya ‘round, dumpster girl.”

“Whatever, Green Vengeance…but really. Good luck, I’m sorry I can’t help.”

“It’s no big deal.”

And then he’s gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interlude-ish style chapter as the boys hunt down their dad and you wander the city. If you can't tell yet, unless it says interlude, chapters are set by the episode title (or a shortened version of it).


	8. "City at War"

“Come back.”

“I’m fine, Mel. Don’t you ever get tired of asking me?”

“Don’t you get tired of resisting? And look around you! This isn’t a safe place anymore, I don’t want to come looking for you one day and not find you!”

“Mel…”

You pull your sister into a hug and she stiffens but lets you pretend its some sort of compliance. In reality you’re telling Mel you wouldn’t come back. But all that comes out is a little sigh as you whisper in her ear excitedly, “Wanna get ice cream? I found some change yesterday. Seventy nine cent cones!”

“…fine.”

The ice cream is too cold in this weather but it is the sweetest thing you’ve had in a while, you trie not to waste a lot of money on frivolous food but Mel was always better at that, plus when your sister visits how could you not buy her something? 

“Did I tell you?”

“Not yet.” You pop out cheerfully as she scowls and swats at you.

“Shut up, stupid, no we’ve got a garden now.”

“Huh, I slept central park last night. You know the big tree by the gate?”

“The one you almost set on fire?”

“Yeah! I found a hammock and slept near the top, nobody even noticed me till morning but that’s only cause I fell out.”

Mel rolls her eyes, “Have you been bottle hunting?”

“Here and there. Mostly we’ve all been avoiding the other stuff, so I slept at a shelter the last few times. Last night they ran out of room.”

“Hm. I’ll bring you some new pants next time.”

“’Kay.”

* * *

You hadn’t seen heads or tails of the turtles since that night and it had been nearly a month or longer now. You wonder if they found their dad or worse, if they didn’t. You wonder a lot of things but most of them don’t matter anymore. 

Slowly you peek around the edge of the alley before creeping carefully into the next. Nobodies safe, not people in homes or people without them. The war is taking over the whole city and the casualties are anyone stupid enough to get in the way. In front of you theres footsteps and immediately you go up the nearest ladder, sparing a backwards glance to see a few young Purple Dragons skulking below. You still, not wanting to attract attention and when they pass you finish fleeing up. Your hand is barely over the edge when a strong grip pulls you up. You don’t scream, your switchblade out and swinging before you’re even released.

“Whoa!”

“Watch it!”

Those voices you knew, and the accents were unmistakable. “Mikey? Raphael?”

“Yup.”

You crack open an eye to see a very irate red masked turtle and a confused orange one, both have their eyes on your blade that you quickly put down. You can feel your face burn. 

“Sorry.”

“What was that?”

“Precaution?” You question, too shocked to make it sound anything but confused.

“Dude! Look at her shiner!”

Your hands fly up to cover your eye, “Sorry!”

“What’re ya apologizin’ for?”

“Habit.” You admit before quickly trying to change the subject, “Haven’t seen you guys in awhile, find your dad?”

“Yeah. Now what’s up with da blade?”

“I told you, precaution.”

“From what?”

“You sure you’re not still blind?”

Raphael ignores it and even Mikey is quiet until you cave, “You know about the war right?” You receive a grunt from one and nod from the other, “It kinda spills into everything. We’re all over the place so lots of us were siding for protection because if not you end up getting stuck in the middle cause they’re all over our hiding spots! They kick us out to make ‘bases’ and if we don’t leave, well…you know what happens. But the police can’t control it either, it’s hard to tell whose who anymore and everybody’s on edge. The younger gang members and mobs cause a lot of trouble in the street too, they blew up a bar a few weeks ago and last night there was a fire down on fourth.” You gestured to your face, “When they’re really bored they pick fights with us. Most people went back to the island, the Professor sends more picks up but…this is my home so, I’m sorta stuck cause I’m not leaving”

Mel had been pretty pissed, her face looking a lot like Raphaels but it wasn’t like the fight could never end up over there. Plus you liked it in the city regardless. But when you finished Mikey let out a low whistle while Raphael shook his head.

“Don’t ya got anywhere else ta go?”

“No.” You snapped, “And it’s not really a big deal, I can handle myself.”

“With that?”

“Yeah.”

“So, what? Yer gonna stab someone if ya hafta?”

You shift, straightening under Raphaels glare, “Maybe.”

“Yeah? And what if they gotta knife too, tough girl, then what’re ya gonna do?”

“Try not to die. What’s it to you anyway?” He’s short but somehow his inch or so taller height makes him seem enormous when he’s glaring over you like that. You poke him hard in the chest, refusing to admit you’re intimidated, even as your eye aches with a warning reminder, “Or are you going to follow me around and protect me? No? Then I do what I have to.”

“Ya listen ta me when I say—“

“Uh, guys?” You vaguely hear Mikey behind you but all your frustration is focused on the nosey turtle in front of you.

“—that isn’t gonna help. It makes ya a target, get rid of it.”

“No!”

“Yeah, ya are.”

“Make me.” 

With that you drop it into your bra with a triumphant grin. Raphael only glares harder and its Mikey who separates you with an awkward cough, “Guys, Donnie and Leo are here.”

Sure enough when you turn there are two new turtles. You quickly step back from Raphael and flush. Why is it you always feel like an idiot around them. Hard not to though when they’re always saving your ass. “Hi…”

“Bros, this is Penny. The girl I told you about, from the sewer, remember? She’s cool. That’s Leo and that’s Donnie.”

“Hello.” The blue says curtly, the purple nods and follows up with, “we didn’t mean to interrupt.”

They’re smirking and you flush brighter, “You weren’t—aren’t. Raphaels just treating me like a kid and I was kindly telling him he could shove it.”

“If ya didn’t act like a brat then I wouldn’t have ta.”

“I—“

“—brought games!” Mikey shouts, slipping between you again. You snatch it from his fingers and then settle while the other three seem to be discussing something. Eventually Mikey asks you to wait and goes with his brothers. They’re arguing and its gets louder when Mikey talks, your ears finally tuning into the conversation suspiciously. 

“Why not?”

“We ain’t gettin’ involved.”

“Mikey…it’s a bit much.”

“You don’t even know her.”

“Yeah I do! And she knows the professor. We can trust her.”

“Yeah? Are ya willin’ to lay the safety of everyone on that, Mike? Cause I’m not. And I still say it’s a bad idea to get involved with any of it, it ain’t our problem.”

“The city is our problem.”

“Guys, it’ll just be for a few nights and you were just trying to help, Raph!”

“That ain’t the same thing!”

“No, Mikey!”

“Um…should I leave?” You ask finally and find yourself under the intense stare of four turtles. “Right, so. Here you go. Come find me again later, Mikey but I’ve gotta go but you know how to find me, and you look like you’re pretty busy so…”

“No! Wait! Guys, come on!” Mikeys holding onto your wrist so you can’t leave and you can see Raphael rolling his eyes. Finally Leo sets his gaze on you, it makes you squirm uncomfortably in your torn up t-shirt and raggedy sweats. You look down at your toes in your flip flops. 

There’s a sigh. “Where are you staying tonight?”

“About that. I can’t say.” Because you haven’t found a safe spot yet. You can feel their gazes narrow and refuse to look up, “But it’s fine, I got to go anyway. And—“

“But Penny—“

“Really, Mikey, it’s fine. I don’t need charity and if I get comfy what do I when I got to go back? I don’t need your pity, ‘kay?” You try to keep your words soft as you pry yourself loose and inch towards the edge of the roof. With a little wave you hurry down while the turtles watch silently. You regret it almost immediately when a familiar voice greets you.

“Well, well. If it isn’t little miss five finger discount.”

“Shit.” Your eyes flicker up but you see nothing and breathe a small sigh of relief, “Can we do this elsewhere?”

“Or you could just give it to us?”

You fidget. “I couldn’t get it.”

“What was that?”

“I said I couldn’t get it alright?!” You snap, already bracing yourself for the punishment of failure.

One of the mob moves foreword, “Well ain’t that a shame, you weren’t motivated enough or—“

“If I stole from them, they’d kill me, if I didn’t get it you would do the same and the end result is still crap, so I decided to get some damned ice cream instead.” You expect the slap, you don’t expect to hear a gunshot go off followed by a few shouts and you don’t want to open your eyes because you know who will be standing there.

“You best start talkin’.”

It’s not as bad as you thought because it’s all four of them and no matter how pissed Raphael looks you doubt he’d hit you or that the others would. “We’re used as runners. All the homeless are, it’s not like we can refuse. I was asked to get something today and I didn’t want to but I said I would and I was going to hide but then I ran into you guys and I thought it was fine now but I didn’t know there would be a second wave of people walking and I—“

“Stop talkin’.” Raphael is covering your mouth, stemming the flow of panicked explanations, “Yer gonna come with us and keep your eyes and mouth shut, got it?”

“Raphael…” you hear Leo’s warning tone.

“Really?!” Mikey sounds excited but the other two, not so much. “Dudette we are gonna have a blast! Wait till you see my room!”

“No way!” You back up abruptly, ripping your mouth free, “I am not going.”

“Ya are.”

“I’m fine. Butt out.” You know you don’t take charity well. But Mikey is flashing you some serious puppy eyes. “No.”

“It ain’t a request.”

Your eyes flash but Raphael is swinging you up over his shoulder and no matter what you say or how hard you hit his shell, he doesn’t stop. It’s almost comforting after awhile, being cared for like that. You hate it. And somehow or other you fall asleep as they walk, the sudden feeling of safety bringing your exhaustion forward.

* * *

“Welcome to the lair, Penny!” You wake up to being dumped on the floor and Mikeys grinning face. Behind him is a giant rat, a woman with red hair and dude with a hockey stick in his hand. 

“Um.”

“That’s Splinter, Casey and that’s April. April and Casey don’t live her but they stay with us a lot.”

“…okay.” Because you have no idea what to do in this situation. And you shouldn’t be here because it’s not like you could hide there forever and the mobsters would forget in a few days anyway, one face was the same as another to them. “Look, I really appreciate this Mikey but I can’t stay. This was a bad idea.”

“Well ya can’t leave cause I ain’t a tour guide.” Raphael snaps, walking away. And what?

“I didn’t—“

“Penny, was it?” It’s the woman, “If you really want I can take you back to…“

“Anywhere.” You supply to ward off awkwardness.

“Okay.”

“April! No!” Mikey is whinning, you can’t help the small smile but you shake your head. 

“Seriously, Mikey this isn’t…I mean I couldn’t…for a few hours maybe?” You finally cave, ignoring the way Mikey whoops and let him drag you off for a grand tour of the lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long one! Set pretty far after the last, the turtles and you haven't met since the end of Season 1 and now their back from space and you're in the city of chaos.


	9. Interlude Part IV

Day one of hiding with the turtles, you thought furiously, and already it had gone to crap. April had offered you clothes that you’d try to reject them but when you realized the woman wouldn’t stop finally agreed to take a shower and change. And from there it had rolled down hill, starting with…

“Oh.”

“The shell!”

You turned bright red but didn’t look away because you’d had never pictured the turtles without their gear or taking a shower. The door slammed in your face and you fled down the stairs almost knocking Donnie over. He raised an eye ridge at you, “Shower later, um, gonna go sit with Mikey!”

Then…

It’d been awhile since you’d taken a shower. You’d forgotten how good the water felt or how warm they could be. You turned the water off regretfully and froze when you realized your clothes weren’t present. For a few minutes you panicked before slowly toweling yourself off and peeking down the hall. Coast was clear.

In three hurried leaps you had slammed the door into Mikeys room and were throwing on your clothes. You’d barely clasped your bra on when the door opened. 

“Mikey, how many times have I told ya…”

You and Raphael stared at each other blankly, until Mikey peered over his shoulder, “Dude!”

So fast you almost missed it, you could see both their eyes flicker up and down. You felt your entire body heat up in anger or embarrassment and maybe even a small bit of prideful pleasure because no one ever looked at you like you were anything but trash but they looked…”Oh my god! Get out!”

There was a flurry of arms and yelling while you shut the door violently then very, very quickly finished getting dressed. 

Followed by…

“Oh my god! I am so sorry, I didn’t see you, are you okay?” You were halfway in tears as you stared at Splinters tail while he seemed to be trying not to laugh. He patted your shoulder. 

“It is fine, child.”

“But—“

“Go, eat. My tail will not break from your feet.”

You nodded, feeling like an idiot for both \ freaking out and the fact that you'd just stepped on your hosts tail. Because he had one. A tail. You took the exit and ran to the kitchen, burying your face in your arms until you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Are you alright?” It was Donnie. You looked up at him then buried your face again, mumbling out a simple—

“I stepped on your dads tail.”

His laughter helped nothing.

And now…

“Didn’t think ya had it in ya, Leo.” Raphael said, and you flushed from the floor where you’d ended up when you went to lay on the couch after startling Leo. 

“Shut up!” You yelped. Raphael just laughed. 

“Sorry, dudette, I forgot to tell you that you could use Leo’s room tonight.”

Which is why you’d lain on Leo and not the couch much to the amusement of everyone, except you. You’d think it was funny later, right now you just felt as if you were making the worst first (or fifth) impression ever. It was Donnie who took pity and lead you to the room where you forced yourself to sleep because you really needed the night to be over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still set during City at War. Just fun silly stuff :D


	10. Interlude Part V

The next morning proved to be slightly less eventful. On slightly. 

You weren't used to being around guys who noticed…well, you. And the guys obviously weren’t used to having someone their age around, not that you’d known you were their age, you thought they were older than Mikey but it wasn’t so. Which was weird cause Mikey seemed to be treated younger but whatever. 

Needless to say when you’d walked down without a bra four pairs of eyes had eyed you before hastily excusing themselves. It was Splinter casually mentioned you might want to dress for the day. 

Then you tried to make French toast and burnt it, badly. Donnie had a lot, and you meant a lot, of fire alarms. 

Finally you gave up. You just weren’t used to the environment of a house. If you were going to fail, best own it.

* * *

“No more, Mikey!” You squealed from the floor where the ninja was tickling you as punishment for accidentally blue shelling him at the finish line. “Oh my god, I will pee, stop, stop!”

He released you with a laugh and you both settled to watch T.V., for the first few minutes you tried to find out where Mikey was ticklish but his shell gave him too much coverage. Eventually you stretched. 

“Mind if I walk around?”

“Knock yourself out.”

Donnie was in his lab and Leo was watching the news with a frown. You stepped up behind him. “Still bad?”

“Yes.”

“…it’s kinda always been like that.”

“No, it wasn’t. I—we made if that way.”

He didn’t seem like he wanted to elaborate and you slipped out. You were careful not to go in anyone’s rooms and found Splinter in the dojo and gave him a friendly hello. One thing was for sure was that the lair was huge but you were still surprised when you found another room adjacent from Donnies lab. It looked a garage and inside was a huge bus and the final resident of the house.

Raphael looked serious, his body covered grease and a pair of headphones over his head. He wasn’t wearing his mask or much gear aside from elbow and kneepads. You watched silently, curious despite not wanting to be nosey. Deciding to sit and watch you plopped yourself on nearest table and watched him work until he turned. 

“What the shell is wrong with ya?!” He snapped, looking startled to see you behind him, then just pissed. 

“Nothing, why?”

“Ya always just watch people work?”

“I’ve never seen anyone work on cars or motorcycles.” You said in lieu of a real answer, “And I didn’t want to bug you.”

“Yer buggin’ me now.”

“No I’m not.”

He looked like he wanted to say something else but just rolled his eyes, you could literally see him deflate. “Whateva’.”

In silence he started to work again, unplugging the headphones so the music softly filled the garage and you tried to watch quietly until you found yourself talking now that you knew he could hear.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Crashed it. Needs da front and rear spring strut replaced and Donnie finally got me a new sensor box.”

“I’ve got no idea what any of that means.”

He snorted, “Means shells broken.”

“You don’t have another one?”

“Nah, Donnie only made one.”

“Donnie made it?”

“Most of it, I did da rest.”

“Cool.” You jumped off the table to crouched down beside him, he scooted away quickly, “Can I help?”

He eyed you for a moment, crushing your fingers in his when you reached out to touch the bike. You looked at him in surprise, his hand was warm. You’d thought it’d be cold. You wondered why you didn’t notice that before. 

“Ya can hand me tools but ya ain’t touchin’ the bike, got it?”

“What?”

“Yer not even listen—“

“I’m mean, yeah. Handing you tools, I can do it but speaking of, can I have my hand back?”

He released you quickly and you passed the rest of the time in silence except for the occasional grunt of him telling you to get him something. 

You left to chill with Mikey again when Raphael finished and somehow or other the turtles started up arguing about the turf war above them. When they settled you leaned against Mikey after he popped in a movie to ease the tension from earlier.

“Dudette, wait till I show you the new game I made!”

“When did you even have time?”

“Psh, you underestimate the ultimate ninja!”

“Ultimate ninja? That a game?”

“Yes?”

“Okay?” You questioned, confused by his confusion. Mikey was weird. But he was fun and he reminded you of your sister except he was a brother and he wasn’t as annoying. Still when you followed him to Leo’s room to sleep, it made you feel like you were being babysat. You frowned and closed your eyes, forcing the noise out. It was only temporary anyway. The thought didn’t bring much comfort.

* * *

It’d been three days. 

You weren’t sure why you hadn’t left but now you wished you had. You felt like the biggest intruder listening to them argue and pausing in your and Mikeys little morbid board game of who would win the turf war. 

Leo seemed to want to save the city, the guy had a hero complex from where you stood, “What do you think?” 

Mikey asked quietly while the others argued, eyes still glued on them. You bit your lip and shrugged, you didn’t have the heart to tell him you agreed with Raphael. One person against a whole city, against all those gangs…in the end it wouldn’t matter because there would always be more. Your thoughts were interrupted by Leo storming out and you watched then sighed. 

“Dude.”

“What a bonehead!”

You heard Donnie sigh, “One big happy family.”

“I think I should go.” You said softly, after it was silent for a few moments.

“What? No!”

“Mikey, I’ve been here too long and I mean I love being here, really but I don’t belong here. Besides, you seen the chaos, I’m a long forgotten piece of the game.” You smiled, “Besides, I can’t stay here forever. And you should go find your brother.”

“But you can wait here!”

“Mikey! If she wants ta go, let her. She ain’t a pet.”

You smiled a little because a part of you didn’t want to leave. It was nice, even if you didn’t quite fit in to the little niche. 

“Actually, um, Raphael.” You could never shorten his name, for some reason it felt like you needed permission to and you hadn’t been given it or you just liked saying the whole name. You weren’t sure. 

“Whaddaya want?”

“Since I’m going back and you fixed your bike—“

“Ya want a ride?” His sharp grin made you regret asking. 

“Yes?”

“No.”

“But—“

“Not today.” He replied and sauntered away, you glared at his retreating shell and Mikey helped you up. 

“I guess I take you back?”

“Yeah.”


	11. "Aprils Artifact"

“Survived the apocalypse, it seems.” Mel teased, looking over you as if to be sure. 

“Nope. I came back just to tell you I’m a ghost.”

“You said idiot wrong.”

You made a face and plopped down beside your sister while she read, letting the familiarity of your old room lull you to sleep. You could head back to the city tomorrow but for now this would do.

* * *

Whatever happened in between the days you left you couldn’t say but whatever they did, and you knew it had to be them, stopped the turf war. New York had returned to its usual chaos instead of an uncontrollable one. It was nice. 

You had returned to your roof tenting, finding you liked it more than you ever had anywhere else. You turned to Mikey who was fiddling with the CD player. 

“Do you know any constellations?”

“Nah, but Donnie probably would, that’s his thing.”

“Constellations?”

“Knowing stuff.” 

You laughed, “And yours is not knowing anything?”

“Ouch!” He said with a pout but you only lay back down, ignoring his fake hurt. 

“Oh, so what are you doing tomorrow?”

“Nothing—wait, no I’m gonna go help April set up shop, why?”

“Aw, I was going to see if you guys wanted to go watch a drive in, I found this old apartment complex a few streets away. You get to watch for free!”

“I wanna go!”

“You have to go work.”

Mikey sulked for a few seconds before the conversation shifted, when he left it was at the arrival of an irate Donnie and Raphael. “Hey.”

“Don’t hey us! We’ve been waiting for you for an hour!” The purple snapped while Raphael cuffed Mikey in the head.

“Ow! I forgot!”

“Wheres your phone?”

“At home—ow!” Another cuff. 

“Come on, idiot. We gotta go.”

“See ya.” You called out, Raphael only waved while Donnie handed her a scrap of paper, “What’s this?”

“Our numbers. You can call us whenever.”

“I don’t have a phone…” He looked uncomfortable until you took pity on him, “but I can use a payphone.”

You pocketed it and waved him off.

* * *

The movie had been good but you’d forgotten how hard it was to hear properly over the streets and how tiny subtitles were. You’d ducked out of the free movie viewing early, wandering the streets to work off your sleepy legs.

“Hey! Penny!”

You looked around at the whisper but seen no one. You peered at the shop but the closed blinds gave no answer, you shrugged and made to walk passed when an arm shot out. You screamed and found yourself being quieted and inside a brightly light store. You bit the green finer in your mouth before you registered one the faces in front of you. “April?”

“Ow! Dudette!”

“Oh shit, sorry Mikey!” Then you swatted him while the turtles snickered, “Why would you grab me like that, idiot?!”

“Sorry, I didn’t want anyone to see us.”

“And you could have just popped out into an alley or something, Jesus! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“Yeah well I almost lost a finger!”

“Guys.” Mikey and you turned to their audience.

“Sorry!” You both squeaked at Aprils look of amused annoyance.

“So…you wanna help?” Mikey asked into the silence, you made a face but glanced at April in question when the woman shrugged.

“I don’t mind. We could always use an extra pair of hands.”

“Sure.”

“Great! You can help me empty boxes!”

They set to work and you couldn’t help but stare the disaster area they made. For ninja they weren’t very graceful in close quarters. Leo had his foot in pail for crying out loud. 

“This is a family business?” You questioned when April found the portrait after setting the weapons down. 

“Yeah.”

“Whose the guy beside your dad?”

You tried to listen to what April was saying but she was distracted by Raphael and Casey dropping a suit, “Ya wanna a piece of me ya little garbage eatin’ maggot?!”

“Look out!” You yelped as Casey crashed directly into a display behind him. In complete shocked awe you watched it break and Raphael dramatically chase the fly out of the shop and slam the door more roughly than necessary. 

“I hate bugs!”

“You’re ridiculous.” You muttered, staring at the chaos then walked away to help April clean until Raphael brought in some trinket.

“I don’t believe it!”

“What is it?” 

You followed the turtles over to get a better look at the little object. “It’s a puzzle cube that used to belong to my uncle! I can’t imagine how it survived the fire.” She cleaned it and you reached out to get a closer look right as the lights started. 

“The hell is that?!” You shouted and then your screams joined everyone else’s as you all flew into the puzzle.

* * *

You were sure you’d fallen and hit your head. You had to of because this was just too much. Turtles you could handle, this? Not so much. Vaguely you heard everyone talking around you and your ears locked onto one part in particular. “How are we not on earth?! Then where are we? I’m dreaming, dreaming, dreaming…”

“Penny? You okay?”

“Does she look okay, Mikey?” You heard Donnie snap and felt his hands on your face. “Penny? I need you to breathe okay? Nice and slow, like me. You’re having a panic attack, that’s all.”

But the words slurred in your head until they didn’t make sense and you squeezed your eyes shut to drown everything out. The sound of his exaggerated breathing filled your ears and without your consent, because you weren’t done freaking out thank you very much, your breathing copied him. When you opened your eyes, his were searching your face. “We’re going to have to move now, can you do that?”

“Yeah. I’m good. I guess.” You forced yourself to stop talking before you couldn’t stop again. Very quietly you followed the others out of the bush, eyes darting every which way, panicking slightly until you watched Raphael rip Aprils pants. It felt strangely normal and you sidled over to Donnie and Mikey talking. What the hell was an utrom? But what really caught your attention was the dimension talk. “So we’re in another world? Seriously?”

“Well, yes. The theory goes something like this, we’re all made of atoms and…”  
You tuned it out until Mikey spoke, a faint buzzing growing louder and louder in your head until everyone noticed it, so it couldn’t have been in your head. And you weren’t afraid of bugs but when Raphael spoke you felt a twinge of fear. The buzzing was loud, really loud. Out of the corner of your eye you watched in horror as a bug, at least three times the size of a cat came around the corner. 

“—gnat!”

“Uh Raph, your gonna need a bigger fly swatter.”

“Oh my god!”

Unlike the others, you just stood, frozen as the bugs came. Your body only remembering to move when it swept you off your feet. “Let go! Let go! Let go! Le--Don’t drop me!” 

Your shrieks echoed around you and you could even hear Raphael from where he was being carried beside you, Donnie in tow as well. 

“Bugs! Why’d it’d have to be bugs?!”

“Because you went psycho on a fly?” You snapped, closing your eyes and hoping to god you didn’t fall. 

“Penny!”

“What?!”

“Just relax okay?”

“Why do I need to—“ you peeked and regretted it, Donnie was kicked his bug into yours and for a split second your stomach was in your throat and you was going to throw up. Breathlessly you fell because you couldn’t even scream from the shock. 

“Give me yer arm!”

It wasn’t like you could argue, you stuck out your hand and Raphael pulled you into him right as they hit the trees. They were going to splatter on the ground together. How romantic, you thought hysterically as felt yourself slip out of his grip. “Shell!”

Spots dance in front of you and you heard more than felt the landing until you sat up, gasping for air with the wind knocked out of you beside Donnie.

“Did I mention how much I hate bugs?!”

“I’m joining…” you gasped, “the hate club. I’m just gonna…lay here…’kay?”

No one argued but April helped you sit up and leaned you against a tree. “You okay?”

“No.”

While they got Raphael down they talked supplies and you shifted around, helping here and there and making a much shorter spear than April. “You can’t throw that.”

“It’s not for throwing, it’s for stabbing.” You informed her tartly, thrusting it foreword for demonstration.

* * *

“No way.”

“Then ya wanna stay here?”

“I can’t sail! I’ve never even driven anything!”

“Well, here’s yer crash course.” 

Raphael pushed out your small vessel, picked you up and sat you on it. You wobbled wildly, “You—I’m going to kill you!”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.”

You weren’t nearly as fast and there was more than a small surge of jealously at the ease in which everyone, especially April, sailed their vessels. Yours bounced along choppily while theirs glided across the water. It made you feel insanely useless. 

“We’re coming up to it!”

“How do I stop?!” You screamed, realizing you didn’t know how to do that either.

“Just turn!”

“Not that much!”

You yelped as your little sailboat flipped and you flopped into the shallow water. You came up sopping and Mikey helped you out but you could tell he was struggling not to laugh. Raphael had no such reservations. “You okay?”

“Peachy. Lets go.”

“Smooth sailin’.”

“Stuff if, bug boy.”

* * *

You regretted every life decision that lead you to being shot at by giant wasps. And you really wished you were more in shape. Every lunge you barely missed the stingers. Twice Mikey had barreled into you to prevent one from ripping you a new one. Or maybe he was just running into everywhere judging from the glare Raphael shot him. 

When Raphael fell there was barely time to recuperate before there were more bugs, now not fearing coming inside. You took a page out of Leos book, dropped your spear and grabbed a stinger. It didn’t make much of a difference when you sat crouched in the corner, waving it wildly to avoid being picked up again. 

Then things got worse. 

The house was falling.

You felt like an extra and couldn’t move. 

“Lets go, dudette!”

Mikey hauled you up and dragged you out as you watched the whole thing explode into splinters below.

* * *

Camp was quiet and you kept to yourself, watching quietly as Raphael woke up. They all seemed at ease within the chaos. Your jaw tightened. 

“Yer not lookin’ good.”

“Bite me.”

“Jungle give ya teeth?” Raphael stared at you while you glared walked away before remembering you couldn’t stomp away in this jungle and spun back, “Alright, I’ll bite, whats eatin’ ya?”

“Nothing.”

“Yer a crappy liar.”

You flopped down against a tree staying silent while Raphael stood over you like some turtle avenger working out his muscle kinks. You twiddled your thumbs, then broke pretty easy. “Your all pretty good at this aren’t you?”

“At what?”

“All of it! The running, the fighting, the—the this!” 

“And?”

“And I suck at it.” You muttered, feeling like a kid for saying it out loud, pride wounded because you could survive your city jungle but this was a whole other kettle of shitty fish.

“So? Get better.”

You looked up at him walking away, missing half of what April was saying about her uncle and reflecting on the simple words. You fingered your weapon, just get better? You’d never been any good at that. It’s why you lived where you did. 

Then again you’d never had giant bugs hunting you as motivation.

* * *

“Why’s it always running?” You panted, finding it easy to keep up when more bugs than the turtles could fend off chased you. The slop covering their bodies was weighing you down. 

“Less talking, more running.” Mikey yelled, shoving you ahead. 

All of you were forced to stop then several seconds later they were fighting. This time you decided not to worry about how they were not on earth or that they were turtles or that there was giant bugs in a horrible forest. You’d just stab them and be done with it. It was a decent plan, and you avoided them pretty well just standing in one place and swinging when one got too close. 

“Guys over here!”

And then you were running again.

And fighting. Except you weren’t fighting, just swinging and hoping you were hitting the bugs and not the turtles that flitted around like super fighters. You didn’t last long before you dropped, feeling leaving your limbs as if your body had just decided to give up, and as the ache entered your bones that didn’t seem like too bad an idea.

* * *

You stared up at the ceiling, waking and feeling the grit on your body that said the harsh landing and earlier day had not been a dream, and batted away Mikeys hand when he tried to help you up. 

“I am never, repeat it with me Mikey, never helping you do a damned thing again.”

He actually had the balls laughed at you.


	12. Interlude Part VI

You turn over the ratty book curiously. It’s missing about a hundred pages but the faded pictures show a ton of stars with lines all through them. Now that you can see the pictures you don’t even need to read the stories. You can make up your own. Your arms catch your sister in a hug. “You have to stay the night and help me find them!”

“If you say so. Also, you really need a bath.”

“What?” You pull back then glance at your cloths with a wince, “I just took one the other day but I fell in some…mud. I haven’t had a chance to get new ones.”

“Lucky you. I brought some. Go change.”

You skip off to do as your told, darting into the nearest stores bathroom to splash yourself off. You liked to think that if you’d been faster it wouldn’t have happened or if you’d been slower you wouldn’t have had to see. But Mel was walking across the street to say hi to someone at the news stand when you came out. 

The crosswalk guy blinked happily and waved. 

A car horn blared and a blue car shrieked to a stop…on top of Mel.

You want to move but you're frozen. People are shouting and you register the driver looking surprised before veering away. So many people are on their phones and by the time it hits you, hard enough to drop you to your knees, the police are there and you can’t go stay there.

There’s no time to cry or think. 

You just run.

* * *

“Watch it!”

“Raphael?”

“What are ya doin’ here, Penny?”

“Walking, what does it look like?”

“Yer gonna fall.”

“Maybe.” You continued walking along the edge of the wall until you stumbled, for a second your heart stopped then a hand yanked you onto the roof and safety. 

“The shell is wrong with ya?”

“Mel got hit by a car.”

“Who’re—“

“My sister.”

You pulled yourself away and stalked off to find a rooftop free of judging turtles with their faces of judgment. You were glad it wasn’t Mikey though, you might have done something stupid, like cry. Unfortunately Raphael wouldn’t let you leave that easily.

“Is she—“

“Dead as doornail? That’s what usually what happens when a car runs you over.”

“Ya don’t gotta talk like that.”

“I can do what I want, and you should move.”

But you aren’t expecting the arm to wrap around you. It makes everything spill like you’d been waiting for it, tears and screams until your throat is raw and you want hit him for letting you act like a two-year-old because he won’t always be there and all the turtles need to stop acting like they will. But for now, you guessed it wasn’t so bad. Just for the moment.

* * *

You expected to get yelled at when you finally calmed down enough to sit on the roof and clean your face off. And you were right. 

“Ya gonna explain the shell that was?!”

“Me deciding weather or not I should fall.” Raphael says nothing and it makes you talk more, the words slipping free of any traps now that you’d released some of the knot of grief, “You know we had a house once. A foster type thing, it all burnt and the family never came to get us. We just left. The professor found us and that was it. Mel hated the city though, I didn’t. I hated school, I hated the families, all of it. When we found the island she was really happy but she still came a visited me cause I hated going there. She was just crossing the street and some asshole ran the red. He didn’t even stop after.”

“So yer gonna kill yerself? Never took ya ta be such a wimp.”

“What would you do, then? If it was Leo or Donnie or Mikey and it was your fault, you couldn’t save them during a fight? Those men with black suits got them—“

A hand is covering your mouth roughly, something in his face says you hit a little too close to home. You have no idea what’s stopping him from making mince meat of you and it hurts to look at the fury in his eyes. To be honest you’d never truly been afraid of the any of the turtles until that moment but you can’t help but wish he’d act on the fury, if only to distract you from the whole slowly opening up inside you again. 

“Shut up and listen, cause I’m only gonna say it once. It ain’t gonna help. What yer gonna do is tell me everythin’ bout the car and I’m gonna find the guy then this will be over. Got it?”

* * *

It’s not that hard to find him. You go into the police station and makes some inquiries about whether or not they’ve found the guy, claiming to be a witness; they haven’t, but what you remember of him, mixed with what you remember of the car, Raphael is able to find something. It seems to blur by even if the streets are almost dark again by the time Raphael leads her to where the guy is casually trying to break into a car. Probably to steal it so he wouldn’t get caught in a hit and run vehicle. You feel something violent sizzling in your belly when she sees the guy casually stealing a new car. You knew it was the turtle who wanted to grab him but it isn’t him who lurches forward first. It’s you who grabs him, switchblade shaking in your hand as you yank him away from the car by his collar. 

“What the fuck do you—whoa! Look lady, I’ll leave the car alone just put it down, alright?”

The words make you see red and you feel your uncoordinated hand swing, your knuckles cracking like part of you is splitting down the middle. It swings again, this time with the blade and you don’t feel sorry, even as the voice penetrates your red haze.

“Stop.” 

Raphael is holding you back and dragging you away but you hadn’t finished yet but the there are sirens wailing close by, telling you Raphael had already called the cops, and you watch blankly from the alley as the man raves about a turtle and some crazy little girl with a knife, they clearly think he’s crazy. A few minutes later you feel strange, like your head is floating in water while your body is keeping you grounded, Raphaels arm on your keeping you upright. The little weapon is finally wretched out of your hands and its enough to send you swinging again, punching the turtle for stealing your protection. Knowing it didn’t hurt and feeling the bruise in your knuckles freshly as they split.

“I ain’t givin’ it back, so ya can quit while yer ahead.”

“Who asked you to butt in?”

“Ya’d have stabbed him.” He says after a moment, voice flat and serious and maybe a little surprised. You think he’s right because you would have and wouldn’t have felt a tinge of remorse. It wouldn’t even be the first time you’ve stabbed someone. And that is what snaps you out of your stupor and loosens something in you. Goosebumps race down your arms. 

“Yeah. I would’ve. I wanted—I want to.”

He’s silent for a moment, “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just walk, would ya?!”

“Fine.”

* * *

It’s his bike they stop at and he doesn’t say a word as he tosses you a helmet then sits you in front of him and you feel the bike veer away from the sidewalk. With her back to him he can’t see the surprise on your face as the wind whips by. It feels like pity. His plastron is pretty hard but you find yourself leaning back into it, tears flowing freely again. The wind makes it burn, tearing the tears from your eyes and the city lights are just a big blur of color until he stops the bike. Everything comes back into hyper focus as you recognize the shop your stopped at. 

“What are we doing here?”

“Yer gonna sleep at Aprils.”

“No—“

“Ya are. We’re leavin’ on a trip and she needs help with da shop. Yer gonna stay an’ help.”

“And if I don’t?” You ask but it’s not really a protest, you’re too tired to that. 

“Can’t hide from a ninja.”

You snort and let him help you off the bike and inside.

* * *

“How are you feeling?” 

It’s been a long time since you slept so soundly. You almost wished you hadn’t woken up. April is leaning over you with a cup of something warm and you take it silently, genuinely trying to think of an answer. “Bad, I guess.”

“Do you want to talk or do you want to work?” April asks into the long silence while you drink. 

“I’m not sure.”

“Then can I ask you some questions?” April looks strangely serious, eyes searching your face and you realize with a start that you doesn’t know this woman at all, trusting her solely based on the turtles recommendation but you don’t know everything about this part of their life either. Tensing you nod, fingers tightening around the mug. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“You’re lying.” No ones ever called you on it before and it makes you flinch a bit at the confidence in Aprils voice. You shrink back a little and say nothing to deny or confirm the words, April seems to take this in stride and moves on to he next question, a growing sense of defeat and nerves hitting you, “How long have you been homeless?”

“…seven years.”

“Why?”

This you know. You have the words down and their not entirely a lie. It wasn’t when you told Raphael and it isn’t now, its a contingency plan you’ve memorized sing before you’d met any of them, Mel just isn’t there to back you. You have to remind yourself of this several times before the words come out. “The family fostering us, their house caught on fire one night. We all ended up at the hospital and they left without us. Never came back. Instead of going back into the system me and—“ you can’t say the name, because that name doesn’t exist anymore, you breathe deeply, “her left. We stayed here and there and we met the professor not long after. His guys took care of us.”

The woman seems to be thinking about something when she gets up, only telling you softly to come downstairs when you’re ready. You think you should leave but as you stare down at the tea you can’t find the will to do anything but sit.

* * *

“This is you.”

You stare at the old newspaper in surprise. But it’s not old. Its new because Mels face is plastered right the headline exclaiming over the hit and run, and how it’d helped a family find their lost daughter. Your jaw clenches and you wished Raphael had left your blade with you just in case but you still manage to bite out a simple, “Yeah.”

“You’re fifteen.”

“…sixteen now.” You sigh. April looks horrified but you just continue because she’s probably read it anyway. “The dad was terrible. Hit us all the time, Mel had it worse because she’s got a temper. I just hid. Then, I set the house on fire because he was a dick and when he tried to catch Mel for it…I stabbed him in the leg. He lived and we ran from the hospital before the police came, the family was with their asshole in the emergency room, guess I’d stabbed something important. I was eight. Mel was ten. Guess they were still looking for us.”

Today it doesn’t hurt to say the name because Mels face is right there in front of you. Gingerly you pick up the paper, “Can I keep it?”

“Yes.”

“Should I leave?” You ask after a long moment, wondering if the woman has already called the cops.

“No!” You looks up in surprise at the vehement answer but April only looks pitying again as she glances at the paper, “You changed your name but not hers?”

“She liked her name. I hated mine.” Flushing a bit you mumble out the last part, “And pennies are supposed to be good luck when you find them, I thought it’d help…I was eight okay!”

April laughs at you but it sounds sad and you sit quietly and wait, cheeks flaming now. After several long minutes pass April stands up and stretches the tension easing from you as she does because there are still no sirens in the distance.

“Can you help me clean?”

“…yeah.”

* * *

You leave when the turtles come back, avoiding them because they have their brothers and you can’t have your sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before and during the Return of the Justice Force.


	13. Interlude Part VII

“Yer a little liar.” Raphael announces as he stares you down and you almost throws your book at him in surprise, not expecting any company on the roof. You frown, then realizes April probably mentioned something and that doesn’t bother you as much as it should.

“So? Just means I’m not as bad at it as you thought.”

He looks like he wants to say something but Mikey appears behind him and is all up in your space with hugs and excitement tempered by nervousness. You just let him because what else are you supposed to do? And the comfort feel soothing against the stinging ache still throbbing in your chest. And when you've settled you pass the time trying to find the pictures. You can’t find any. 

“We suck at this.” Mikey says. You choke on a laugh.

“You suck at it! I’m just the book holder.”

“Yer both dumb, that ain’t even a star it’s a plane.”

“Whatever.”

* * *

When the boys start to leave Mikey lingers for a moment. “If you want to talk…”

“I don’t.”

The turtle hugs you again and is off with a little wave. 

Later you'd find it funny how it almost felt normal without Mel or how the next time you seen the turtles, the stars would be the least of your problems.


	14. "Space Invaders"

“You have got to be kidding me!” You shout as the punching bag knocks you over again. You’ve taken to hanging out with April and helping in the little shop when its not busy. You never talk much about anything but you like it that way and April is teaching you to fight. 

“Sure you don’t want any gloves?”

“No! In a real fight I wouldn’t have them.”

“You shouldn’t get into real fights.”

“Sure thing, mom.” You mutter sarcastically, going to get a drink while April starts swinging. She hits quicker and harder than you but doesn’t get far before the T.V. interrupts. 

“…earth no longer need question whether there is life on other planets, it is here and we are in the full grip of an alien invasion. Is there any—“

The broadcast is cut short the two of you stare at each other silently. You glance to the desk after a moment, “Think we can hide under this?”

“We don’t need to hide—“ Casey banging in with helmets interrupts her, “anywhere. We’ll be fine here.”

“Oh no you won’t. I’m tellin’ you April its crazy out there! I’m getting you, both of you, outta town, where it’s safe.”

“Look Casey,—”

“He’s right.” You chime in, “We should leave.”

“No. I appreciate the thought but I can take care of—“

“April!” You shriek as the wall explodes beside all of you, sending you stumbling back in shock. April is already grabbing your hand and dragging you out the back door beside Casey. 

“I don’t know if we’re gonna fit!”

“We’ll make room!” April yells as they get on the bike, you hesitate for a second because this definitely won’t work but April yanks you up and forces you between them. “You’re small enough, just don’t move and scoot foreword as much as you can!”

The words are barely finished when Casey peels out, April look behind you frantically while you try to make yourself as small as possible and shouts into Caseys ear, “You know how I’m always telling you not to go so fast?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Go fast!”

That makes you dare a peek behind you then promptly bury your face in Caseys’ back, April smashing up closer behind you. If you try hard enough none of this is happening in your mind even as you can hear the screams and chaos all around you. Then the bike is swerving and you hear and feel Casey cursing.

“Too much weight! I can’t control it!”

“Look out!”

The whole bike tilts and April screams right along with the you as you’re all launched into the air. Thankfully it doesn’t last long and the moment you smack the pavement, you’re knocked into dreamland.

* * *

You’re all being shuffled along when April pulls out a phone. The only thing in your mind is that is a terrible idea and sure enough one of the…guards—because what else would a giant dinosaur be—crushes it. 

“Keep moving you scum!”

Now would be a good time to panic but all you can do is grab Aprils hand feel all of five years old. April squeezes it back and gives you a smile. “Don’t worry,” she whispers, “we’ll be—“

“Hey! Quit pushing—“

Casey is sent flying while the guard sneers, “You’ll do as your told weakling.”

April runs over to help leaving you frozen where you were. You seemed to do that a lot lately whenever the turtles or April is involved, you’d never been particularly brave but this is getting to be a bit much, things always spiraling out of your control when they’re around. Overhead more ships loom until your all encased in some sort of force field like out of a bad sci-fi flick.

“We’re going to die.” You announce to no one and everyone blandly. No one says a thing back.

* * *

“I still think we gotta be busting ourselves outta here.”

“I agree, Casey but how?”

“We can’t. Unless you have some sort of power to break that.” You say flatly, you have’t bothered moving or running, not until April tugs you along with a sharp word or two to snap out of it. It doesn’t change the way you can hardly even think. You’d think you’d be used to this amount of crazy by now but somehow it’s still hard.

You fall when April is yanked away from you, hands slipping free and just lay there for a moment, until Casey jumps on top of the guard and is knocked out. It feels like your watching some other life erupt into chaos as April is carried away as you crawl over to Caseys side. “You okay?”

“Where’s April?!”

“Being boarded I—“ you yelps as you are grabbed by the hair and suddenly finds yourself, shook like a rag doll in the air, wishing you were bald as you’re dragged by April, screaming all the while. “Let go you stupid fossil!”

“Penny!”

“Casey!”

“April!” You are thrown to the ground and can see Donnie running up beside you, a rescue attempt you think frantically as the prison force seems to have broken, people and aliens running everywhere. Then Donnie is crouched in front of you, shielding you and trying to get you to safety but you’re frozen on the ships dock as the others converse, tugging you along.

“We’ve gotta get these people outta here, fast!”

“You heard the turtle! Lets move!”

None of you get far before Donnie is shot in the back. You lunge towards him, afraid of seeing blood and unable to move as the image of Mels body and blood floods your brain when he collapses at your feet. Distantly you hear someone shout your name, but you can’t reply as you faint beside Donnie, entirely done with the days events.

* * *

When you wake up and your body feels heavy and there’s something in your mouth, small puffs of air are forced in and you jerk upright. The room is small and dark, theres only one other body beside you. 

“Donnie?” You already regret waking him up but you don’t want to be awake alone. You gives the turtle a small shake. He’s barely opening his eyes when your is yanked back. 

“No!” You can’t really struggle the the tube is pulled from your lips and you goe limp, surprised by how hard it is to breathe properly without it. But its quickly forced back between your lips and then your hands are shackled. 

“Leave her alone!” But Donnie isn’t fairing much better, being jerked around and cuffed as well.

“Be silent!”

You’re both yanked to your feet then dragged through the ship, Donnie being much more cooperative and whispering quickly before you can get caught as you enter a huge room. It looks like some cheesy throne room thats unfortunately very real, his words reaching your ears but unable to quell your fears, “Don’t worry.”

“All hail prime leader Zanramon. Kneel before our great leader!”

You fall to your knees without prompting, shock and fear leaving you with jello legs, Donnie is forced. You can feel yourself starting to panic, just like that time with the deranged jungle trip; the voices become a distant blur in the background. You struggle to breathe while the alien glowers over them and shrieks at Donnie while the turtle sasses the ‘leader’.

“Where is that robot?!

“I don’t know!”

“You defy me?!”

“The Fugitoid is not on earth anymore, he’s long gone.”

“Tell us where he is or perish!”

“I told you I don’t know!”

You finds yourself being yanked up next but you don’t—can’t speak. “What about you? Do you have anything you’d like to share?”

You shakes your head as he screams at you, “Lies! You were with the terrapins!”

Your flung to the ground as they grab Donnie again, you watch shaking slightly and trying very hard not to burst into tears. You only half succeed.

“Listen you peabrained gecko,” You flinch and want to yell at him them to stop pissing them off but his gaze flickers to you and his eyes say ‘stay quiet’, “how many times do I have to tell you the Fugitoid is _not.on.earth!_ ”

They argue more until Donnie is shoved into a helmet and you can only stare in some kind of shocked awe as his life flashes across the screen, you find yourself backing up right into an alien. You want nothing to do with that, you don’t need your life broadcasted up there. The leaders gaze fixes on you, feral and smug. 

“Have anything to say now?” 

“I never even met them—” you face flashes across the screen and you wince as your hauled up to your feet. “I don’t know what the Fugitoid is!”

“So you say but soon, we will know.”

“Master Splinter!”

You feel yourself cry finally, shouting and straining as Donnies voice rings out in the room, “Stop! You’re hurting him! I know wher—“

Before you can say something stupid, the machine fries and Donnie goes silent.

“Clearly the earth creature has something to hide, but we have other methods of making you talk.”

“I’ll never tell you anything!” Donnie snaps, even though he looks exhausted.

A hard gaze falls on you, “And what about you?”

“N-nothing. I don’t know anything.”

“Very well. Neither of you will be any use but…” he seems smug again, “what about your brothers? Oh yes! We know they are in the same city where we apprehended you!”

Again they’re arguing and you shuffle your feet awkwardly, still feeling the tears fall absently when your notice no other guards are with you and you ponder running or trying to attack the leader but it seems stupid even in your head. And the choice doesn’t matter because the rest of the turtles are there, as if they’d been there all along and there’s a gun to their heads. You hiss as your fear mounts again, rising and falling like cresting waves, “Donnie just tell him!”

“There’s nothing to tell!”

The prime leader is yelling at them, and you are panicking because your name is mixed in with theirs. You doesn’t fancy dying, arguing with him, “Then why would we be here?!”

“Because you got caught!”

“So did you!” The whispering is cut off when you are both escorted to the ‘torture room’. Donnie sighs as they trudge through the halls. All of you caught and probably going to die, you breathing hitches as Donnie mutters to his brothers while your stare at the ground blankly, unable to process what is happening.

“Well guys, if this is your idea of a rescue, it’s pretty lame.”

Your cuffs fall off and a smug voice sounds beside you, leaving you too surprised to do anything but stare. 

“You were saying?”

“Dudette! You alright?”

“No.” You mutter, confused, gaze unable to focus on anything, “What—“

“What is a good start. Like what da shell were ya thinkin’?!” Raphael snaps, looming over you, the anger in his voice, the blame sends all the waves of emotion up. You glare right back and shove him in frustration.

“It’s not like I asked to get on the ship I…panicked.”

“Ya couldn’t panic on earth?!”

“I—“

“Guys, more escaping, less talking.”

You follow, glaring at Raphaels back while you scurry through the vent. Strangely though, you are no longer scared.

* * *

“Stay close.” Mikey whispers and you nod determined to keep up. You know can’t but the turtles sort of toss you along until you’re in the ship. You let yourself be strapped in with Mikey like a doll and mentally chant ‘there’s no place like home’.

Its a brief breath of fresh air when it shoots out and you’ve only just breached earth when Raphael is on your case again. Voice booming in the small space while you glare at him, Mikey keeping you from reaching across to punch Raphael in his stupid face. 

“I don’t see what the big deal is! I’m not dead, Donnies not dead, we’re on earth!”

“Ya could’ve slowed us down! Ya did!”

“Well sorry! Next time I’ll use my expert alien fighting skills and not get captured by freaky dinosaurs!”

“That ain’t the point!”

“Then what is?!”

“Ya—I—ugh!” Raphael throws his hands up in the air and you rolls your eyes then crosses your arms over your chest, waiting for an apology, “I was worried. Ya happy?”

The words send a flutter of something through you, washing away the ire a bit when you realizes he’s embarrassed. “Yeah, well…anyone would’ve been worried. Doesn’t mean you can yell at me.”

He glares at you and opens his mouth to say something when a call comes through. You watch them silently and when the conversations over Raphael looks both nervous and even more irate than usual. His gaze mets your again and you find yourself looking away quickly.

* * *

“We’ve gotta go, be careful?” Mikey asks as they get ready to hide the ship.

“Trust me, I am never, ever flying again and not in space.” Now there’s a sentence you never thought you’d say.


	15. "Worlds Collide"

Things don’t cool down.

You find yourself following Casey and April to the lair since the turtles apparently disappeared, if they’re captured you’re going to give a certain turtle so much shit when you find them.

“Its only two more blocks up.”

“Left or right?” Casey is keeping watch while April leads them. She is no ninja but she knows her streets, her directions almost as good as yours. You feels in her element and not useless for once as you and April figure out the way to the turtles home above ground, using their knowledge of the underground to re-map it.

“Right.”

Mentally you picture the streets and head into a fenced off alley, taking the lead and waving for them to follow you up over the fence, scaling it with ease. Casey and April follow until they reach a manhole that Casey lifts. Keeping a sharp eye they drop in and you take up the rear. 

“Follow the leader again.” You mumble as you all hurry through in case anyone is hiding in the sewers.

* * *

Splinter doesn’t want your help. 

It’s obvious why but you can’t refrain from adding your quiet two cents, “Even if we don’t go with you, we’d still go look. Isn’t is safer in groups?”

“Oh no, not you. April got lucky right now but you can’t even throw a punch!” Casey snaps, shaking his head and you frown up at him.

“I can too. Aprils been teaching me.”

“Ninjintsu?”

“No, to box.” To make your point you follow Aprils lead and throw a sharp punch, it connects with Caseys stomach and he groans a bit. 

“Alright, alright! Enough show and tell.”

Splinter finally speaks, “I’d hate to put any of you at risk but only a fool ignores fate and the strange gifts it offers.”

* * *

He said not to be distracted but you watch the missiles fire just a few feet away and cringe at each echo of the explosion. You're eyes grow huge when it crashes the water rushing up to you alarmingly fast. 

“Guys!”

“Splinter, you got any ninja tricks for dealing with that?”

“Yeah, like holding our breath!” You snap right before all of you are engulfed in water. 

You’re glad now, about your time on the garbage isle because it gave you time to learn to swim. You may not be in the Olympics but you sure as shit isn’t drowning. Casey isn’t so lucky. Still it does show you where you need to go and April pulls you aside before you dive back in. “Are you sure you wanna do this? You don’t have to.”

“Worse comes to worse, I hide in a corner. But I need to repay them.” You don’t say there’s a pit of guilt in your stomach, like somehow helping you before is why they ended up caught or that you are scared of only finding corpses or that the very thought of staying behind makes you want to cry. You just stares at April until the woman nods and you dive.

* * *

“How are we going to get passed all those guards?”

“Divide and conquer?” You offer unhelpfully, it’s Splinter who ends up actually doing something. Taking them all out quickly and easily. You’re handed a gun and take a deep breath to still your fingers. It doesn’t work but armed is better than unarmed in this situation.

* * *

It’s strangely unguarded so you all make it to a small room relatively easy. But you only find phones and no turtles. The search continues until you reach the lasers hallways. Seriously? Lasers? Sometimes you wonder if the first night on garbage island you never woke up and this is all some weird, messed up dream. Casey and you are the only ones left after April and Splinter pass it with ease.  
“Ladies first.”

You glare but picks your way throw slowly, sticking to the ground where you can so you doesn’t trip and fall of worse, your height and size working to your advantage. When you finally make it over, April beams at you while you wait for Casey, who might actually look worse at coming through than you did. You can’t stop the giggle.

“Come on, Casey!”

“You can do this!”

And he does. 

Right until the stick falls.

“Shit.” You wince. 

“Language!”

“Oops.”

* * *

“Vents.” You gripe, “Why is it always vents?”

“Because you’re tiny and can fit.”

You smack Casey in the shin as crawl along with the others. All of the teasing helps you not think about how the turtles don’t have their weapons, how you don’t know how to use yours and how you have no idea what state you’ll find the boys in. You swallow heavily. 

“The scent! It grows stronger up ahead.”

When you all peek up you’re horrified to see whats happening as Splinter yells and chaos breaks out.

“No! Michelangelo!”

“Mikey!” You yelp right along with Splinter and jump out with the others. Well, crawl out. Casey has to haul you up to your feet setting you down as you aim the gun and shoot wildly before releasing the other turtles while the three fight off the guards more effectively. “What is that?!”

Because not only aliens and turtles and rats but now sewer gators. Because why the fuck not?

“Panic later.” The red turtle snaps as she glares and tries to avoid on coming fire and shooting back without looking. You gun runs out a lot quicker than you expected even considering your crap aim. But you aren’t losing until Mikey gets captured. Everyone freezes, the explosion of motion only coming back when Mikey kicks him away. Immediately the others attack while you goes to help free him, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible but shrieking when you hear a voice call out.

“Watch out!”

And Leo is front of you deflecting whatever was thrown. “Come on!” You snarl to the straps struggling with them until Mikey can slip free. As soon as you’re done, you look for anything to help but only finds the empty gun that works just as well as a bat.

* * *

“That robot is what this is all about?”

“He’s not just a robot.”

The way in which Donnie snaps it out shuts up any other words you were going to say and follow the others while they run down the hall. Not even a minute later an explosion sends everyone flying. You scream as you collide roughly with the wall and groan. “Seriously? Do things always blow up around you guys?”

Mikey just shakes his head, “Yeah well I’ve seen enough bond movies to know when the enemy base starts to blow up it’s time to go!”

“Not without the Fugitoid.”

You open your mouth to protest the idea but they’re off and running again, leaving you no choice but to follow.

* * *

“Cover me guys!”

You join the fray with a wild rush of adrenaline that hadn’t stopped since the explosion. Your gun swings wildly, crashing into bad guys as often as the wall. Whooping when it connects with a body. “Suck it!” You shout and swing again, this time hitting them in the head. The victory is short lived as almost immediately you are grabbed from behind. Like April taught you, you swing your elbow back but it meets a solid vest. The gun drops from your hands, useless and you go back to basics. Your teeth. When you hit the ground you snatch the gun back up then smash the butt up into the face leaning towards you menacingly.

Things end pretty quickly after that. 

Then they go to shit.

The Fugitoid or Honeycutt, whatever his name was is dead.

* * *

The funeral is some sort of space burial. 

You reach out to give Donnies’ shoulder a squeeze, unable to offer more comfort than a simple gesture. You hadn’t known Honeycutt so you can’t feel properly sorry but you still know the familiar feeling of loss a little too well to be cold even if you are mostly glad that you’re going home now.

* * *

When you do get home you finally visit the little unmarked grave on the side of the road. You drop the constellation book beside it and sleep by the pole, coming back no matter how many times the cops make you move. 

It’ll be the only time you ever go to that street again.


	16. "Touch and Go"

Mobs are all over the place and not the gang type but the stupid angry people type. 

You avoid them like the plague until you see Raphael running through the streets lights bouncing off the walls as people give chase. Almost immediately you’re hurrying down the ladder to help. You give chase, passing the mob up because stupid people would know directions if you smacked them in the face with a map then skid to a halt in front of the turtle. You hear him get ready to fight and duck down, hands over your head.

“Don’t hit me, moron!”

“Ya have da worse timin’.”

“Yeah well, I’m trying to help just—“ you’re about to tell him off or to follow you when a door opens. A few seconds later and Raphael is being dragged into the house, you shake your head and smother a laugh at the panicked look he gives you but you know the lady is harmless. You cheekily wave him off just as the mob comes around the corner and cut off their questions, speaking quickly, “He’s not here. I think he went up! Freak can jump high as a building!”

“He must have slipped passed us.”

“Maybe he phoned home or something.”

“Or something.” You agrees, briefly eyeing the door as you pretend to follow the group. When you are able to fall far enough back you run back to the house and bang on the door. The old woman answers.

“Hello Mrs. Morrison. I was sent as some extra help.”

“Sure you can lift them, sweetheart? The boxes are pretty heavy.”

“Of course.” You beam up at the unseeing lady when your lead inside. Raphael still manages to look disgruntled but he’s moving boxes around and you immediately begin to help. 

“Ya movin’ out Mrs. M?”

“Forced out, I’m afraid.”

“What? Why?” You ask, pushing a box across the floor when you can’t lift it. 

“The banks foreclosing on my mortgage. Since my husband passed well, the monies mostly gone and I haven’t any other family, all I have is Lucy, my cat.”

“Can’t they give you money for your disability?”

“Afraid it’s not enough, dear.” You frown at the ground and Rapahel looks torn but neither of you can offer up a solution at first, then tentatively you speak, “maybe…I mean. I have a place you might be able to stay for a while.”

“What?” Both her and Raphael seem surprised. 

“Um, yeah. I know someone people who live on an island and they always have room for people. The professor wouldn’t mind at all and housing is, uh, free.”

“Now, now. Lets not get ahead of ourselves,” she sighs a bit, “how about a tea break?”

You agree while Raphael shoots you a look, you shrug and makes a face. Well, what else should you have said? As they wait for the tea you play with the cat on the floor, wincing when your fingers get nibbled viciously. 

“Don’t slurp, son.”

“Oh, uh, sorry ma’am.”

The cat flees from your slight glare and rubs on Raphael who laughs at you quietly while you shoot him glare next as Mrs. M speaks.

“Lucys really taken a liking to you, Raphael. She usually doesn’t take to strangers.”

“You’re telling me.” You mutter, taking a seat and sipping the tea. Its bitter without sugar but you don’t ask the old woman for any, just drink it quietly because you aren’t one to turn down free anything.

“She used to live in the alley out back, I sort of adopted her or she adopted me. It’s hard to tell with cats.”

“Hey, I’m a bit of an alley cat too, maybe that’s why she likes me.”

“Then why doesn’t she like me?” You sulk, as the cat darts away from your reaching fingers.

“Well, I shouldn’t keep either of you any longer, it is a school night after all.”

“But about the island—“

“No, no. I appreciate the offer, dear but I’m sure your parents wouldn’t like a stranger in their house. Don’t worry so much.”

“Yeah, her father is probably real worried.”

“Idiot.” You mumble but stop arguing, “Okay.”

“Maybe you could stop by again, Lucy and I will be here a little longer and we’d love to have you.”

“Really?” Raphael sounds genuinely shocked. “Thanks Mrs. M, I’d like that.”

When the door closes you turn quickly to the turtle. “Where do you think she’s going?”

“I dunno.”

“She can’t just leave! She’ll end up in a home or something!”

“I know! Whaddya want me ta do? I don’t have that kinda cash.”

You frown at your feet. Neither does you but you want to help because you have a feeling she knew exactly what Raphael was when she let him in and exactly what you were. You sigh then feel Raphaels hands ruffle your hair and swat him in the chest. “Don’t worry, it’ll work itself out.”

“I’m not a kid!”

He pauses, and cards his fingers slowly out of your hair, a pleasant tickle running from your scalp to the base of your neck and leaves goosebumps along your arms. The moment feels strangely charged when he cocks his head, eyes serious to respond with a little smirk. “I know.”

Too surprised to speak you watch him leave, aware your eyes are following even when you can’t see him anymore and wonders what the hell that even meant and why your face feels hotter than the sun. 

* * *

A few days later you finally work up the guts to visit the old lady and finds that she is living fine now, saying her guardian angel saved her. You don’t even have to think twice about who did it. And it isn’t hard to find him if you loiter around by manholes. You grin when you see him and his brothers climbing out, looking unsurprised to see you and waving hey but your shit-eating grin is reserved solely for the red-masked turtle.

“Well, well, well, aren’t you just the sweetest thing since sliced apple pie.”

He looks uncomfortable, gaze shifting away but you know he knows what you mean by the shifty look, “What’re ya talkin’ bout?”

“M.” You say simply. You notes with pleasure that his blush is a bright hue green, richly coloring his cheeks obviously even in the dim light. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, coughing as if to cover words of dismissal. Unable to resist you reache over and wraps your arms around him tightly, face buried in his neck. He stills in surprise, muscles tense in your arms but jerks away when his brothers begin to quickly crack jokes. You let him without protest as you feel your own face flush and wonders what the hell just came over you and dreading that you know the answer.


	17. Interlude Part VIII

“Long time no see.” The professor nods at you, and you go to leave but find him in front of you, stopping you from escaping without more conversation, you bite back a sigh and cave, “What is it?”

“How have you been?”

“Oh. That. Um, better I guess.”

And you are. Sometimes you just forget that Mel isn’t on the island and go to look then remember a little to late. The hurt it brings every time is now a constant part of you but you don't mind it. It keeps you grounded, reminds you that you've been doing okay, things are...better.

“I see. Well, you know you are always welcome with us.”

“Thanks but I like it here. Speaking of, have you seen the guys lately?”

“Not as of the late.”

“I’ll tell them you said hi.”

“Yes, and Penny?”

“Hm?”

“This is for you. She has several more, I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to bring them all. You do like to travel light.”

You shift your backpack at the words and stare at the book. It’ll weigh you down and probably be ruined, lost or stolen by the end of the month. You take it anyway with a small smile. Because of course Mel had a bunch of books on constellations. She always liked to be the one who knew everything just so she could hold it above your head whenever she had a moment. Teacher. Sister. General pain in the ass. You smile at the blurry title, “Mm. I’ll probably get the rest later.”

“I will save them for you.”

“Thanks.”


	18. Interlude Part IX

You finish wiping the window and nearly cry in frustration when it starts to rain not a second later. The sun is still out and it’s only a drizzle but it could get worse any second and either way it’s destroying your hard work! Grumpily you stomp into Aprils shop. The woman is watching with amusement. 

“It’s not funny! I spent all day cleaning that!” You groan as you flop onto the register, “Why does everybody have to look with their grubby fingers?”

“To keep window cleaners in business.”

“Ha-ha.”

They stand in companionably silence until April breaks it. You know the tone of voice and feels your muscles bunching. “Penny…”

“April.” You mock. Or try to but it comes out more nervous than anything else.

“I was wondering if…if you’d like to stay here.”

You breathe a tiny sigh of relief and agitation at the words, not as bad as you thought but not something you feel comfortable with all the same, “That’s not a good idea. And I’m not some little kid, I’m fine the way things are.”

“Alright. But what about later?”

“Later?”

“When you’re older.”

You sigh and face April, “I haven’t really thought about it. I never thought I’d live that long to be honest. I mean, realistically we—I’d probably be dead or in jail if not for the professor and now you guys…so…”

April looks startled by the admission and you give a little shrug, looking away to fix and fiddle with things at the register. Again its quiet until April tries again. 

“Well then, how about you work for me?”

You snort. “You’ve barely got the shop off the ground, you can’t possibly pay me.”

“No, but I have a spare room.” April holds up a hand to forestall arguments, “Hear me out here, you don’t _have_ to stay but whenever you want to the rooms yours. You can use it to store things or hang out or anything you want really.”

“I don’t know.”

“Just think about it, okay?”

“Yeah.”

And you doe. For the rest of the day, in fact. It’s not like you wants to be homeless forever, you just never thought of anything other than day to day and you never thought you’d truly be on your own. But you were now. You wondered if you looked tired or something, especially with so many offers of staying places so close together. You gazed at the floor hard while you swept. You knew if Mel where there she’d say the island was all you needed but…there was no desire to stay at the island. Yet the thought of being confined here in any one place made you antsy, nervous. It’d never work. But…

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah…I mean, I might not always stay but…thank you.”

“Your welcome.”

“Um, does this mean I should come in set hours or?”

“No. Just be here at least four times a week, got it?”

“Yeah.”

Weird. You have a room. A home room not a shelter room. Really weird. Especially since it doesn’t feel as claustrophobic as you thought.

* * *

The room is small but it suits you. There is an old futon in one corner, a small table and lamp all taken from the shop. It reeks of dust and old things but you set down your backpack and slowly unpack it. With only a spare change of clothes, some snacks and a book left in it, it weighs practically nothing and lets you stand straighter. Leaving you to stare at the few bits of clothes in the open draws and the stack of Mels books on the dresser, safe.

Maybe it won’t be too bad after all.


	19. "H.A.T.E"

There’s a loud noise coming from your door. And you’ll never get used of thinking that, because you’ve never had your own door. Or when you did it was a distant childish memory. It takes you a minute to process that it’s still knocking when Mikey comes barreling in followed by a harassed looking Donnie.

“Morning.” You mumble, mouth thick with sleep. 

“You’re coming right?!” Mikey shouts, jumping onto her bed in glee and bouncing in place, the world jumping unsteadily in front of you.

“I have no idea—“

“To the farm! We’re gonna go picnic and train and stuff, it’ll be a blast!”

“Mikey, you can’t just go barging into her room like that!” Donnie shouted, face a little red as he studiously looks at anything but her, and Mikey is surprised by the scolding.

“Why not?”

The surprise only last till he sees you’ve sat up in only your bra and shorts, rubbing sleep from your eyes and still confused when Donnie shrieks out and drags his brother to the door. 

“That’s why!”

“Oh! My bad, dudette! But hurry up or we’ll leave you!” He pauses in the door, “Not really but, you know.”

“Mikey!”

“Coming!”

You flop back onto the bed, in five more minutes you’ll get up.

* * *

“Ya wanna try?”

“You want me to hit Don?” You retort but take the bow all the same as Raphael steers you until you’re facing a tree.

“Ha-ha. No. Yer gonna hit that.”

“The tree.”

“Da tree.” 

The look you give him says he is underestimating you until the arrow lets loose, missing spectacularly and going nearly straight up in the air. You look at your arms in shock, still aimed upward and fancy that maybe you did hit something, you don’t bother to look at the smug grin on the red turtles face. “Well, I suck at that.”

“Ya need practice.”

“With this? No. I’ll stick to punching things, thanks.” You pause. “Actually, what the did you ever do with my switchblade? I want it back.”

He turns away without answering and goes to shoot at Donnie again. You follow glaring at his back then strolling over to a tree instead of tripping him like you want to. While the boys continue their contest you climb up and get comfy on a lower hanging branch. Mikey was right, you think biting into an apple, it was nice.

* * *

But things can never stay simple with the turtles. 

Not even ten minutes later a man comes barreling through the bushes. You jump down as the turtle creep out of their hiding spots. You pat the unconscious guys face but don’t get any response, a shiver of unease creepy over you, “Is he dead?”

“Not yet, but this mans been shot in the shoulder.” Donnie replies after his own brief investigation, and you wonder where in the hell he came from. 

“What was he sayin’ bout a bomb or somethin’.”

“I don’t know but you guys need to lead the others away from here, Penny you stay with me in case he comes to and we’ll do what we can.”

As the other three leave you help drag the body to a better hidden position then crouch down when some more people appear in the clearing. You listen to them drone on with a frown, wondering if this was their way of coping or if they were just nuts. “People aren’t over that?”

“Apparently not.” Donnie mutters. “Help me get him out of the jacket.”

You does as your told but look at Donnie curiously, you know he’s patched up the boys when they have problems but this is a bullet, all new territory as far as she knows. “What can we do?”

“Not a lot. I can’t take out the bullet and I don’t have anything for cleaning.” In a matter of seconds you are stripping your shirt off. “What are you doing?! I thought you liked—“

“ _Don’t_ finish that sentence,” You grumble from inside the shirt then wave at Donnie to turn around, he does, face darker green than normal. You finishing stripping, taking off your undershirt then pulling the tee back on. “It’s for bandages, you can rip it. And I think I had some water left in my bottle, I’ll be right back.” 

You hurry away, cheeks reddening as your brain finishes Donnies earlier words. Raphael. He thought you liked Raphael. 

Did you?

Was now really when you should be thinking about this?

Probably not. You grabs the bottle but its empty, and you head back with a frown. “Empty.”

“It’s fine. He’ll need a hospital anyway. And I think there’s some damage to his ribs.”

* * *

When the others return you find yourself arguing with Raphael again.

“I helped last time!”

“Barely!”

“I—“

Raphael slaps his hand over your mouth, it seems to be becoming a nasty habit of his and you narrow your eyes at him, “Look, ya got guts—sometimes—but ya can’t help with this one. Just go back an’ tell Leo and Splinter what’s goin’ on—ugh!”

You lick a long stripe up his hand, he jerks away with a face full of disgust and even you grimace but fire back through it, wiping your own mouth with the bottom of your tee, “That does not taste like chicken. And I’m not your gopher.”

“Yer gonna do what I say or I’ll make ya stay here til we come back for ya.” He eyes the tree, and you imagine being tied to it to ensure your ‘safety’.

Your eyes widen. “You wouldn’t!”

“Ya, I would. Now get goin’.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, yeah. Run!”

Much to your annoyance your find yourself running before you can help it, flushing in anger and something else when you realize you do usually do what he says.

* * *

“What are you guys doing?” You ask, confused at the sight of the three people peeling apples without a care in the world, well, almost. Aprils face looks like she’d rather throw the apples at someone than peel them.

“Making apple pie!” 

April sounds distinctly pissed at the idea while the others give you a brief run down that has you laughing so hard you almost forget why you came. With a few giggles you pull yourself back under control them wave your hands quickly, “The boys said to tell you that they’re dealing with some stuff and they’ll be back late.”

“What kind of stuff?” Leo asks, his tone saying he knows its nothing good.

“They found some guy shot in the woods. And there were these others guys shouting off about aliens and crap. Oh, and I think there was a bomb.”

“We have to go help them!”

“Where are they?”

You shrug at Splinters question, “No clue. Raphael wouldn’t let them tell me. He said not to worry, they can handle it.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he thinks so.”

* * *

“One psycho down.”

“Probably a million more to go.” Mikey groans. You have to agree, there will probably be more people freaking out about aliens. You kind of wonders why you aren’t anymore. Doesn’t really matter though because the pie is delicious and stupid people will always be stupid!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The turtle bros are back. This chapter was weird to re-read, I notice that I never finish a thought when writing and clearly since I was watching each episode when I wrote about it, they keep cutting off randomly XD I should also mention, at this point the reader is seventeen, going on eighteen at the end of the season (which is 3, in case you were wondering).


	20. "Christmas"

“We brought the tree!” You chirp, looking around even though your eyes are still covered by a blind-fold. April tugs it off and you shove an armful of bags at Splinter, April had told her she didn’t have to wear it but you’d mentioned how if you got captured your pain tolerance was not up to par. That and you were pretty sure you could map it would from above ground streets now, not that you’d tell them that. “Candy canes for the tree. I couldn’t think of one kind so I got them all, oh and the presents.”

“Hey! Watch the tree!”

You ignore Casey sarcastic calls for help and make your way over to say hello to Leo and Donnie, helping the latter get out decorations and popping a candy cane into your mouth as they discuss the only missing person.

“Yeah, where is that bozo? I’m getting’ kinda worried about him, he’s been gone all day.”

“Probably hiding to avoid helping with decorating.” You replied around your candy cane, a trail of lights being dragged out behind you.

“Come on, it’s Christmas Eve, even Mikey couldn’t get in trouble on a night like tonight.”

“Clearly you don’t know your brother well enough.” You snort, beginning the tedious task of making sure the lights aren’t tangled. 

“Way ta jinx it.” Raphael mutters as they begin to pull out more decorations. “Hold it!”

Penny freezes from putting up a candy cane, “What?”

“Uh, Raph, what’s with the butterfly swords?”

“Gotta trim the tree.”

Seconds later a branch smacks you in the face, “God damnit, that hurt!”

The turtle ignores you in favor of praising himself, “Man I’m good, I’ shoulda been a barber.”

“Or a wood chipper.”

“Hey!”

You wave the branch at him threateningly when Donnie practically skips in. “Cookies are in the oven! Who wants to lick the bowl?”

“Me!” Both you and Raphael shout at the same time, struggling to pull the bowl out of Donnies hands, Raphael manages to get it first and licks a long swipe around the bowl. 

“All mine.” He grins.

Its smudged down his face and you pout for a minute before pouncing on him and licking a long stripe off his cheek with your own devious grin, “Delicious!”

“Gross!” He snaps, face bright green as shoves you off, still hogging the bowl but now using it like a shield. 

“Then share!”

“No way! Usually Mikey gets all the good stuff!”

“You—“

Donnie quickly shoves a spatula at you before they can start a full scale war over the bowl. You grudgingly accept with a final face at the red turtle for stealing the bigger leftovers.

* * *

“It’s good to see you Professor.”

“And you, Penny.” He says as you untie the blind-fold and let yourself be wrapped in a tight hug. “How have you been?”

You shrug, “Good, I guess.”

“I have heard you live with Miss O’Neil now.”

“Sometimes. Most of the time. It’s complicated.” He squeezes your shoulder reassuringly.

“It is alright to have found a home, no one will judge you for it.” He hesitates for a moment, “Mel would be happy for you.”

“I guess so.” You repeat, throat tightening uncomfortably so you turn away to hear Casey and April arguing as usual. It’s a great distraction and you roll your eyes when you hear Aprils protests. “Just kiss him already April!”

“You hush! Did you put them up to this?”

You eye Raphael and the purple haired kid in the corner, some small irrational flare of anger in your gut that you squish in favor of watching Casey get smacked in the face with the mistletoe. You smirk to cover the sudden bout of jealousy, “Aw, don’t act like you don’t want to April.”

“Oh really? And what about you? Who’re you going to kiss, missy?”

You turn bright red then scurry away, tail between your legs as you fake hearing someone, “What was that Donnie? Yeah, coming to help right now.”

* * *

“Fifty bucks on laser beam dude.”

The purple haired girl—Angel you’ve learned—laughs, “No way your getting me with that, this ain’t even a competition!”

“You never know, Casey helped fight off aliens—then again maybe not.” You say as Casey goes flying. You then watch Raphael join for a rematch and snort, calling out as he sits. “You guys do realize he’s super powered right?”

“Can it.” Raphael grunts right before they both go flying.

When April steps up you smirk, “Fifty on April.”

“No take backs.” Is the immediate reply to which you shake just as super dude goes flying. You grin as Angel gives you a small glare while you hold out your hand expectantly, unable to keep the smug expression off your face. 

“That’ll be fifty.”

“You cheated!”

“Duh.”

Cursing all the while Angel hands over the money and you pocket it quickly then turn to walk away only to turn and bump into Raphael.

“What’re ya up to?”

“Whats that? Coming Do—“

“That only works once.”

“We wasn’t doing anything, besides, it’s Christmas, why so grouchy? Is it cause you lost? Or cause April won?” Angel said with a grin, and grabbed your arm as Raphael advanced on them.

“Ya little—“

“You owe me!” She laughed as you both ran away from the irate turtle.

* * *

You found yourself seated for dinner between the Professor and Angel, making small talk while pretending all your stomachs weren’t growling. 

“Someone should go look for him.” You finally whined.

“He’ll be here.”

“Before or after New Year?” You sniped. 

April cut in to forestall any arguing, “We’ll give him five more minutes, but that’s it, the foods getting cold!”

“Agreed.” Splinter echoed.

“He better get here soon, that bonehead.”

Almost five minutes on the dot Mikey slipped in, “Merry Christmas everybody, meet my friend Clunk.”

“Mikey! Where have you been?”

“Seriously dude. Starving over here!”

“Our guests have been waiting, it is very rude.”

“I know, I’m sorry, but you’re not gonna believe what happen—“

“Exactly.” You muttered while Raphael chimed in, 

“Mikey we don’t wanna hear some lame story—“

“Ah, ah, ah Raph, this is a season about giving.”

“Yeah? An’ I’m thinkin’ ‘bout giving ya a well seasoned smack upside da head!”

Mikey somehow managed to convince everyone to go and hand out toys. By the time you all got back the food had to be reheated and you were practically too tired to eat any. April and Casey finally had a kiss, if you could call it that while you were ready to duck out. After a minute of goodbyes you wandered outside to watch the snow while you waited for everyone to finish up their own goodbyes and whatever. 

“Wacha doin’ out here?”

“Watching the snow.”

“Ya need a jacket.”

“Thanks mom.”

“Whateva’!”

You roll your eyes at the sulky tone then turn and pluck off Raphaels scarf; he let you without a fight was you grinned, “See? Nice and warm.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Before anything else was said a curtain of black hair caught your eye as you were nearly stabbed in the face with mistletoe. You jumped back in surprise to see a grinning Angel waving it triumphantly above you and the red turtle.

“Well? Aren’t you gonna kiss? I even brought it all the way out here!”

“No!” You yelped, face so red you could feel it melting snow. But Raphael was already leaning down, lips landing on your cheek gently before a flash went off but you were frozen place.

“Ya little brat!” 

Raphael roared and Angel took off laughing, leaving you to stumble in after them, brain running the image of Raphael leaning in over and over as you clutched his scarf.


	21. Interlude Part X

“Penny?” April knocks on the door, “Penny, you up?”

“Don’t come in!”

“What?” The woman heard a curse and a crash and flung the door open. You stood there wide-eyed with poorly applied makeup on. 

“You see nothing!” You shout blushing as April stifled her laughter then sat herself on your bed.

“What’s this about?”

You were silent but only for a minute, caving easily, “I wanted to look nice before I go out.” 

“Oh? Any reason why?”

“No!”

“Really? Because Angel sent me a picture—“

“I’ll kill her!” You yelped, face burning so hard it would probably never stop. Although a small—large actually—part wanted to ask for it and you really were being ridiculous. For a few moments April seems to revel in your embarrassment before the mood turns a trifle awkward and she brings up her real reason for coming to see you. 

“Penny…about school—“

“No.”

“I don’t think you realize how important it is!”

“Important? For me to look like an idiot? I haven’t been there in over five years! I wouldn’t know anything and there’s no reason for me to go…I work here.” You look away as you say it, fiddling with you hair, afraid to see the look on Aprils face. This is why you hadn’t wanted to move in. It meant so many expectations. What were you supposed to do with it all? Pretend it was normal? What was normal? You glanced at your reflection, what were you even doing? Dressing up and playing house? Crushes and makeup like it was all fine? This wasn’t real. None of it was. You jerked away from your reflection, wiped your face and slipped out the door, ignoring Aprils calls.

* * *

You’re kicking Mikeys ass at Mario kart when Donnie comes out of the lab looking startled, “Penny!”

“Whats up?” You answer, not looking up from the screen.

“Where is your phone?” He demands moving to block the tv and you frown, maneuvering yourself around him to see the screen while Mikey whines about cheating.

“Don’t have it.”

“April has been—“

And now you know what this is about. You mash the buttons on the controller in frustration then fling it onto the rocking chair, standing as you do. Your glare must be something because Donnie looks surprised. “April seen me leave, she’s not my mother and you are not my caretaker so fuck off!”

“Whoa, dudette. Maybe you should—“

“If she wants to talk to me so bad she can wait until I go get my stuff.”

“She doesn’t want you to leave! She just wanted to make sure you were okay, she said you left after you guys had a disagreement. She’s just worried.”

“Well no one asked her too!” You snap, feeling cornered when you go to leave but find yourself facing both Leo and Raphael. The former raises his eyebrow.

“Channeling your inner Raph.”

“Hey!”

But you aren’t in the mood to be teased, you aren’t even sure why you came there, and now you know it was a stupid idea. All of this was a bad idea from the beginning. Mel had been right and you should’ve just stayed on the damned island. “Fuck off, Leo.”

“Guys I think if we just give her some space—“

“What crawled up yer ass and died?”

You ignore Raphael and storm to the warehouse door exit. You’re out and pacing the snow covered streets before you can think twice. Its you, not them. You knows that. Know you aren’t a little kid and that sooner or later you have to make a choice. Rejoin the world April is a part of or stay in the Professors. You don’t know which is worse right now. 

The thoughts are so confused it takes you a few minutes to realize the blur of purple barreling into you is Angel and not some psycho. Angel who is shouting at you desperately then running to the warehouse, leaving you to run after her.

* * *

“If she’s going I’m coming too.”

“Of all people, ya don’t need ta go da most.” Raphael snaps, and you flinch thinking of your earlier outburst. Raphael narrows his eyes, “This ain’t gonna be some distraction for yer shitty attitude. Go home with April.”

And then they’re gone and the word home keeps ringing in your head, leaving you feeling strangely abandoned even though it was your fault. Your fists clench. You thought you were doing this right but maybe you weren’t. It was too much. Too good, too often and it would have to break sometime. You just didn’t want to be there anymore when it did.

* * *

“Penny! It is good to see you!”

“You too, Professor.”

“What brings you back here?” You gesture to your bag, the same bag you started with. Nothing else from there and give him a strained grin. He doesn’t say anything and leads you to Mels and your old room. Nothings changed in it and you collapse onto her sisters bed gratefully, imagining her scent is still there to wrap around you comfortingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was set around The Darkness Within. And let me tell you, going through these trying to figure out what goes where is a pain in the ass lol


	22. Interlude Part XI

“We’re going to get some supplies!”

“Be safe!” The Professor calls and you nod absently. Two weeks is a long time and it feels good to breathe the city air again. You wonder briefly if you should apologize or say hi to your friends—former friends?—but dismiss the idea. Better to just stay silent. You turns to Mac and Brody. 

“You two scrounge around here. I’ll meet you in two hours, two!”

They both nod slowly then slouch away, and you feel anxious just watching them, knowing perfectly well they will be late. You sigh then skip out onto the streets.

* * *

You’ve missed sleeping on the roof. 

For a moment you eyes close to soak it in before getting ready to go back down the fire escape when the your terrible luck strikes again. Maybe you should change your name back. But the thought is swept away as you begin to fall through the air, weightless and comfortable, your ear splitting shriek lost in the din of the city but then you’re back on earth. Strangely in one piece and…warm? You peel up off your savior with a yelp. You wonder if you just crushed a person to death and calling out apologies when a tight grip wraps around your bicep, yanking you back to them as they stand. 

Its tight enough to hurt and the three fingered grip has your voice stuttering to a panicked halt. Purposefully you refuses to look up. Behind you theres three sets of footsteps blocking your escape route. Very, very slowly you look up into the amber eyes of Raphael and promptly wishing you’d been splattered on the pavement. You can feel the heat of his rage and hates the wiggle your stomach gives and the way your face twists so guiltily. 

Silently you try to pry his hand off but it tightens until you give up, only then does his grip ease but he’s not letting you go yet. Figures. With a sigh you defiantly glances at the others. Anything to avoid the gaze that stings with some sort of betrayal, “Hey…”

That sets it off, and now he’s shaking you roughly by both arms, “Hey?! Ya disappear for two weeks with a word and all ya got ta say for yerself is hey?!”

“Well what do you want me to say?!”

“How ‘bout an apology for starters!”

“I don’t have to apologize for anything!” Briefly you wonder why you’re always fighting. Probably because he reminds you of Mel with his temper. Or probably because he never stops shouting at you and making you feel guilty and all of five years old, “I don’t owe you a damn thing!”

“Ya little brat!”

“Dude, we—“

“Shut up, Mikey!” His rage seems to diffuse as quickly as it came and he sneers at you, letting you go with a light push. “Yer right, ya don’t owe us nothin’ and we don’t owe ya anythin’ either. But ya should at least let April know yer alive.”

“I’d rather not.”

It sparks something dangerous in his eyes and you hear the other turtles arguing but all you can feel is the slight rejection in the push, hating the way your eyes sting. This is what you wanted but its harder than you thought. But was it? All over an argument about school? It was like April was trying to force you to be a part of this little family and you—oh. 

That was it.

You could be a part of this family. You wanted to. Sort of. But it wasn’t family, but it was yours and it could be gone again. Actually, you’d made it be go away.

“Dudette, we just—“

“Leave it, Mike. She ain’t worth it an’ we got stuff ta do.”

Mikey looks like he is going to argue but Donnie whispers something quickly and jumps up the roof after Raphael but not without giving your shoulder a quick squeeze, Leo nods and Mikey is the last to stand there. Very tentatively he wraps you up in a tight squeeze then follows his brothers. You sink down onto the ground and wonder what the hell you’re doing.

* * *

“Welcome to—Penny!”

April wraps you up in a hug that you cautiously return. When you separate April locks the door then ushers you into the kitchen. She doesn’t seem worried or particularly angry, but there is a wave of relief and building tension in her shoulders as you watch her bustle around. When she turns to face you the forced smile is obvious as she hands you a cup of water. You stare down into it like it holds the answers to the universe, swallow and lick your lips preparing to speak but nothing comes out. A sip of water later and you still can almost get the words out. “I’m sorry.”

“For what? I never said you had to stay here. It was always up to you.”

The aloof answer stings but you nod, still unable to meet Aprils gaze. 

“I meant for storming out.” You can handle it, you deserve it for being a shit. You take a deep breath to settle yourself, waiting for her response.

“Well then, apology accepted.”

The silence is awkward after and you feel the burning in you eyes start. It feels like hours have passed before you set down the empty cup, gathering the remnants of your courage to manage a small smile as you finally look up at April, “I’ve got to go.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I—"

“You don’t have to go to school.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to go to school—yet--but I’d like it if you stayed here…again”

Its not that hard to accept. You know you’ll have more to talk about but your shoulders sag in relief, “Okay.”


	23. Interlude Part XII

“What’s up with Don?” You asked, watching curiously as the ninja beat at the bags as if it were an enemy or he was Raphael throwing a hissy fit. 

“Dunno. Some machine zapped him yesterday and he’s been like that since. Splinter said he’d been fine a few days but he came back looking pretty beat up.”

Curiously you go and watch until your is almost smacked in the face by a flying bag and find an apologetic Donnie wiping sand from your hair. You laugh, “It’s fine, Don. I had actually come to apologize for the last few weeks. I had a mid-life crisis or something.”

“You aren’t old enough for that.”

You roll your eyes but he just stare until you squirms, wondering if there’s still sand on you, “What?”

“Just…happy you’re alive.” The words make you pale a little and stumble over an apology, you hadn’t thought that’s what they’d think when you left but after a few choice words from the resident hothead you realized that a lot of them had. 

“I—“

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not that.” He helps you up and gives you a quick hug. You return it, still confused because Donnie isn’t much of a hugger normally unless something big happened. When he releases you he shoves you towards the door. “I need to practice some more, if you don’t mind?”

“Yeah, sorry!” You frown at his back then find Raphael beside you. He seems to pop up a lot lately like he’s making sure you don’t run off again. It annoying and cute. And you dwell on telling him just that to make he go away but then he speaks, words softer than normal. 

“He had a nightmare or somethin’.”

“’Bout what?”

“He said the Shredder won.” You don’t fully understand the sentence that well. The name had been tossed around before but the truth was you were never allowed to be a large piece of that part of their life. All you knew is what they’d told you, specifically when they told you they didn’t want you to be a part of it. It’d stung a bit but you knew it was a safety thing and not a trust thing, realistically it was only thanks to them you hadn’t died when you did get mixed up in their ninja stuff. You want to ask more questions but he looks serious and somber, eyes focused on Donnie like he’s going to disappear. It’s a look you don’t like on him so you tug at his mask tails then dart away with a laugh before ehe can swat you for it.

* * *

When he finally comes clean about his ‘nightmare’, you don’t follow most of it but you cocks your head, unable to help the morbid curiosity and figuring honesty is best in this situation, “How did I die?”

“Penny!” April scolds. But you only have eyes for Donnie who looks a bit pale, he answers all the same with a jerky nod. 

“You…you wanted to see who the Shredder was. They said you followed them and they didn’t know, too distracted fighting. You never made it passed the gate and they didn’t find you until they came back out.” It’s all clinical and when he’s finished he excuses himself with Splinter while you shiver a bit because it really is something you’d. Actually it’s something you’d contemplated doing on multiple occasions. It makes his “nightmare” seem all the more real. Finally you break the awkward silence with a little grin.

“Well that’s anticlimactic.”

“Dudette!”

“It ain’t somethin’ ta joke about!” You wave them off and stand up to get yourself a glass of water. 

“Well it’s a little hard to believe.”

“With ya, no it ain’t.”

“Rude.” You reply tartly, flinching when you can hear Raphael slam his hands on the table.

“Do ya gotta make a joke out of everythin’?!”

“Oh come on guys! Don’t start! You fight worse than me and Raph!” Mikey complains, still sounding tense from earlier. You feel too jittery to question it. It is weird and you don’t know if you believe him but it was real for Donnie and you had seen some crazy shit. Still, you can’t resist egging on Raphael and watching his eyes flash. It’s petty but you do it anyway. 

“Why shouldn’t I? It’s not like I’m actually that dumb, and what do you care anyway? Hm? Mr. I’m-not-worth-it.”

He ejects himself from the table, chair flying out as he stands and you watch him leave with a frown. You hadn’t realized you were still angry with him about that comment even if you had deserved it at the time. With a sigh you go after him, waving off Mikeys words of protest.

* * *

He is getting ready to leave. You can see him packing up so you don’t bother knocking just shut the door loud enough to get his attention when you enter. 

“Get out.”

“Make me.” You retort pleasantly and he turns to you with a snarl. You think for a moment then tilt you head curiously, “What bothers you most? The fact that I don’t care that I died in some other place or that fact that you do care?”

“I don’t! Ya can do what ya want. Ya prove that over an’ over again.”

“Neither? Then is it because I made a joke about it or that fact that you know I was trying to piss you off and you got pissed off anyway?”

“Shut up an’ get out!” He takes a menacing step toward you but you don’t so much as blink. You two need to hash this out, same as you had with the others. 

“I think it’s because you know I’m pretty much in love with you and would follow you like that. I think you’re mad because I died and I don’t care and you feel like its your fault because you have some sort of hero complex. I think it reminds you of when I left and you thought the worse.”

“Ya—what?” It seems to take all the steam out of him and you grin warily.

“I like you. You have a hero complex. In some other world I died. Anything else you missed?”

“The shell are ya talkin’ ‘bout?!”

You take a few steps foreword, feeling a strange sense of delight when he backs up. He seems to notice and stills himself, glaring down at you while you beam up at him before finally pushes you to the side lightly and exits with a huff. You let him without another word then follow to find him seated on the couch instead of having left the lair and very slowly seats yourself beside him. 

The others don’t take very long to join so when the movie starts you creep closer until you can lean on him, ignoring the way he holds his breath. And if he finally relaxes and pulls you closer no one has to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was set after Same As It Never Was.


	24. Interlude XIII

“Whatcha doing?”

“Studying.”

“For what?”

“GED.” You mumble without looking up from your text, Mikey groans and pushes the book down. 

“Dudette! Come one! It’s been hours!”

“And I’ve been out of school for years. Lots of studying to do, where’d Don go?”

“Right here!” The turtle chirps and hands you some sheets of paper. “Practice tests, I just downloaded them.”

“You’re amazing, Don.” You say giving his hand a quick squeeze then burying your face in the papers while Mikey continues to whine as Donnie drags him away.

* * *

“You’ll do fine.”

“Sure.” You say as April pats your shoulder. 

“Good luck.” You pale and face April as she is ushers you in, “Why would you say that?! You know I have terrible luck!”

April just laughs at your horror.

* * *

“I can’t open it.”

“Yes you can.”

“Nope.”

“Come on!”

“Leave her alone, Mikey, if she doesn’t want ta she doesn’t have ta.”

“But I do want to.”

“Then open it.”

“But—“

“For the love of—give me that!” Raphael snatches it and rips it open much to everyone chagrin then tosses it onto the table with a smirk, he leaves them to wait for a few minutes before you threaten to clobber him with a shoe if he doesn’t tell you the results, “Passed.”

Your already flinging your arms around him to tackle him to the floor in a hug while everyone else throws praise your way. In the excitement you can’t resist pecking Raphael on the lips then turning to give everyone else hugs. No one seems to notice or care that he’s is still sitting on the floor where you fell flushed and in obvious shock.

* * *

“What the shell was that?!”

“A kiss.” You reply from your bed while Raphael glares at you from the doorway. He hesitates before coming in when you wave him in. 

“I know that.”

“The why’d you ask?”

“Ya—when—ya—ah!” 

“Eloquent.”

“Listen here, Leo Jr—“

You glance at him evenly, and you aren’t sure what you look like but it shuts him up, “Do you want me to not do it again? It was spur of the moment but I’m not sorry I did it, just sorry it made you uncomfortable.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Are you mad?”

“No I—“

“Then do you want to date?”

“What.” It’s not even a question and you laugh.

“Raph,” You hardly use his nickname and it seems to make him flush a bit, “The other day I told you I liked you. Today I kissed you. I’m not trying to come on strong, but if you don’t want me to, you need to tell me. Doesn’t matter if it’s yes or no.”

That seems to spark him back to himself and he saunters over with a raised eye ridge, “Then ya don’t care if I say no.”

“I didn’t say that.” You mock, nervousness creeping in now. He seems to debate something briefly before settling his mouth on yours. Its different than earlier because he knows how to position his mouth and it’s a little less chaste with him crawling on top of you and you pulling him down. 

A little gasp escapes your lips as he nibbles them carefully and it makes him pull back while you lean foreword to chase after the kiss. He chuckles and you mean to tell him to fuck off but all that comes out is a little ‘whoa’.


	25. Interlude XIV

It’s been quiet. 

Which is why it all goes to shit.

“I can help!”

“No, you can’t. Not with this.”

“April is still teaching me—“

“Boxing, we know!” Raphael growls, trying and failing to keep his temper in check, “But ya ain’t going and that’s final.”

“You are not the boss of me.” You snap back, shoving at him in frustration when his look only darkens further. You know that he isn't going to cave and that makes you more worried because every time they disappear like this they come back in pieces.

“This ain’t a game!” 

“That’s why I want to go! What if you don’t come back?!”

“What if you don’t?” He snaps back, softer and you flash back to Donnies story, knowing that part lingers heavily in the back of his mind ever since then. You grab his hand and tug him onto the couch with you. 

“I know I’m not a part of this fight and I don’t know anything about your guys past with this dude, not really, and I won’t make you tell me but you can’t stop me from trying to follow you. You can't stop me from wanting to help, I've helped rescue your before, remember? And I'm not that weak anymore.”

Raphael looks torn and for a minute you think he is nodding in acceptance before a sharp pain in you arm alerts you to another presence, just able to tilt your head and make out the purple of Donnies bandana as he winces, eyes not as apologetic as he'd probably like, “Sorry Penny. We just have to be safe. You’ll feel a bit grogg—“

“Go away now, Don.”

The last thing you hear as you're brain quickly fades is Raphaels voice, you'd punch him if you could but instead you're wrapped in his arms as he carries you, the weightless feeling almost sickening and the last thing you feel is his lips on your forhead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set around or before Exodus is my closest guess when reading this one.


	26. Interlude XV

“All clean!”

“Then I’m locking up.”

“Alright.” April closes the blinds and turns to you. She looks even prettier wearing make-up which means Casey will be there at any moment, a spark of jealousy makes you turn away to sock the punching bag. It makes April pause at the door, “If you want I can stay home?”

“Its fine.”

“Penny—“

“It’s only been a week and a half. I’m sure they just got distracted on their way back.”

You hears Casey come in the back but tune out the rest of the conversation. It doesn’t matter anyway, you has a court hearing tomorrow for the stabbing. Apparently enrolling yourself in the real world meant the family had found you. They weren’t pressing charges, didn’t even want to see you but the charges from before had stuck. Society apparently needing to make sure you aren't a menace still.

“I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.” You call cheekily, trying to override Aprils sense of mother henning and guilt. It works to a certain degree. April leaves while you continue to hit the bag, imagining its your boyfriends face.

* * *

“Community service.” You states flatly as you glare at the paper.

“You did stab someone.” April retorts cheerfully.

“He—“

“I know. That’s why its only community service. Look on the brightside, you get to visit the farm again!”

“And clean up a river. Yay.”

“Don’t be a brat.” You just sigh and wonder if it was worth it to stay. But when you load everything into Aprils car and whines that you just ‘wants to go home’ you think its not so bad. You just wish Mel had been able to be there too with this new little niche you've made.

* * *

“Wait here!” April hisses and hurries after Casey, bat in hand, “Casey!”

“Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.” You mutter then sneak out of the van minutes later. You regret it the moment a hand covers your mouth and drags you into the shadows. Quickly you throws you elbow back and stomps on a foot until you recognize the green you can't believe you're seeing.

“Ouch! Watch where yer swingin’!”

“Raphael?” 

You aren't sure you believe it’s him until you see the bandages. Feel the warmth of his hands soaking through your shoulders, you're not the type but the relief that washes over you is strong enough to make your legs crumble as your eyes roll back. The last thing you hear is him cursing as you fall in a dead faint.

* * *

You wake up to his face beside yours and just stare at it for several moments until his eye cracks open to stare back in the silence. As your gaze moves down, taking in the very real turtle you note the fresh cuts, and bruises. The urge to add more for scaring the shit out of you is strong but you restrain yourself by scooting closer, laying your head on his chest as gently as possible. 

“Finally decided ta wake up, sleepin’ beauty?”

“Later I’m going to kick your ass for letting Don needle me, then for talking him into it, then again for not saying you’re back. Then I'm going to kick his ass for agreeing.”

“That so?”

“I’m a boxing champ now and it is so.”

“Whateva.” The word is soft but undoes the knot you've been carrying in your chest, tears flowing out quietly and freely, he doesn't say a word just rubs your back until you both fall asleep again. You can deal with it all later, for now you are soothed by the steady thump under your ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is as far as I ever wrote in this story, reading it and looking back I think I probably stopped writing right at season four, so this is set right before the first episode. Since I’m on a quest to finish things I’ve left unfinished, I will be finishing this, just slowly since I’ll have to find the voice for it again and its been so long since I’ve written in the TMNT fandom! I may just write an epilogue to wrap it up instead but who knows. Hope you enjoyed it, it was a fun re-read for me :D


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